A bill that aims to make more land available for housing in Monroe County by allowing development on steeper slopes passed the Indiana House on Tuesday.

The measure’s author, Rep. Dave Hall (R-Norman), said restricting developers from building on a slope steeper than 15 percent is unnecessary and prevents the county from building affordable homes.

His bill, HB 1108, would increase the maximum slope to 25 percent — with an exemption for land that drains into drinking water reservoirs for cities and towns, like Lake Monroe.

Monroe County stormwater and planning experts say allowing development on steeper slopes could send sediment pollution into underground streams that resurface in other areas of the county.

Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) expressed concern that the legislation is “one size fits all” in a state that has many different terrains.

“Maybe you've got a watershed that needs a stronger protection. And this bill's not going to let your local officials make that decision," he said.

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Monroe County stormwater and planning experts say building on steeper slopes could actually increase home prices because they would need more erosion control. A lot of land in the area is karst — a kind of porous rock prone to sinkholes.

Hall said the legislation would only apply to communities that have slope restrictions.

The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

Rebecca is IPB's energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.