About Beacon

About Beacon

Beacon is a powerful and user-friendly tool supported by the Hancock County GIS office, hosted by Schneider Geospatial. This platform is essential for accessing a wealth of geographic and property-related information about Hancock County. Beacon allows users to explore detailed maps, property records, and various geographic layers to make informed decisions and conduct thorough research.

Why Use Beacon

Beacon is a valuable resource for residents, businesses, and researchers, offering a range of features to explore property data and geographic information. The site receives close to a thousand visitors daily and has serviced over five million information requests in the past year. Whether you’re looking for property ownership details, zoning information, or geographic features, Beacon provides a comprehensive and accessible solution.

Key Features

Real Estate Property Search: Easily search for properties by owner name, property address, or parcel ID. This feature is essential for real estate professionals, prospective buyers, and property owners to verify property details, ownership history, and tax information

Navigating Map Layers

A variety of map layers are nested inside groups (click the + sign to expand) in the Layers list. Feel free to explore what's available—you won't break anything. The layers provide detailed information on land parcels, zoning, environmental features, infrastructure, and more.

Important Tips

Parcel Search Layer: The text of the Parcel Search Layer is enclosed in a box with a circle containing an "i" inside. Clicking on the text of another layer will move the box to that layer, indicating it is active.

Additional Information: Anytime you click on a layer inside the map view that's highlighted in this way, you'll see additional information regarding the layer inside the different information boxes. This can include attributes like parcel dimensions, zoning codes, and environmental data.

Select Tools: Use the Select (white arrow with square) or Identify (blue circle with "i" inside) tools to see detailed information. These tools allow you to click on specific features on the map to view their attributes and related data.  In some cases, such as with Monuments, Development Tracker, Septic Systems, and Letters of Map Change, you may see a report you can click on inside the information boxes. Clicking on this will provide you with PDFs that detail additional information, offering deeper insights into specific features or regulatory documents.

Quick Tips for Navigating Beacon

Layer Visibility: Make sure to expand the relevant groups in the Layers list and check the boxes next to the layers you want to view. This will turn on the layers and make the information visible on the map.

Zoom Functionality: Use the zoom in and out tools to get a closer or broader view of the map, which can help in identifying specific details about properties and their surroundings. Zooming in provides more detailed views, while zooming out offers a broader context.

Measure Tool: Utilize the measure tool (ruler icon) to calculate distances and areas directly on the map. This is useful for determining property boundaries, measuring land areas, or planning construction projects.

Print Maps: If you need a hard copy of the map, use the print tool to generate a printable version of your current map view. This feature allows you to create customized maps for presentations, reports, or personal records.

Reasons to Explore Beacon

Real Estate Investment: If you're considering investing in real estate in Hancock County, you may want to check if the property is inside a floodplain. To do this, expand the Hydrology group in the Layers list and check the box by "Best Available Floodplain IDNR." If the property is inside the floodplain, there will be building limitations, and existing structures may be more expensive to insure. Before purchasing, consider visiting the Hancock County Surveyor's office to inquire about how the floodplain will affect the property. Understanding floodplain status is crucial for assessing risks and planning property development.

Assistance and Contact Information

If you're having trouble accessing the information you need on Beacon, we're here to help. Contact us at 317-477-1150 and ask for GIS, or email us at john.milburn@hancockin.gov or nate.murray@hancockin.gov.

You can also visit the Surveyor's office for a walkthrough of Beacon basics. We're located on the bottom floor of the Courthouse Annex at 111 American Legion Place, Greenfield, IN 46140. Our staff will be happy to provide hands-on assistance and answer any questions you may have. If there's enough interest, we may host a Beacon training session as well, where we can cover advanced features and specific use cases.