06/11/07 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JUNE 11, 2007 in the area, by providing additional parking spaces. The additional parking area is compatible with the surrounding office land uses to the south and west. The required landscape screening will help buffer the adjacent residential area. Mr. Michael Rans, Greater South Bend-Mishawaka Association of Realtors, 1357 Northside Blvd., South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Mr. Rans stated that they have obtained ownership of this property and are seeking to rezone the property from SF2 Single Family Two Family District to OB Office Buffer District to expand their parking lot. To alleviate some of the on-street parking and move them into the parking lot. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Mr. Joe Grabill, 2410 Grape Rd., Mishawaka, Indiana, stated that he frequently attends realtor functions and has been a commercialreal estate broker for sixteen (16) years and one of the challenges here is that not all of the homes in this neighborhood have garages so there are a fair number of residents that already appropriately park in front of their homes. A result is that when there are realtor functions people often have to park a considerable distance from their homes and this is a real problem in the winter months. The proposed site improvements that are before the Council tonight will take what is now strictly a fence and added landscape buffering and other appropriate considerations that will make this blend well into the community. There was no one else present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Rouse made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill as substituted. Councilmember Varner seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of six (6) ayes. BILL NO. 30-07 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY: THE STREET TO BE VACATED IS A PORTION OF PEASHWAY STREET FROM LEEPER AVENUE TO MICHIGAN STREET FOR A DISTANCE OF 120 FEE, MORE OR LESS AND A WIDTH OF 50 FEET. BEING A PART OF LEEPER'S ADDITION, PORTAGE TOWNSHIP, CITY OF SOUTH BEND, ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, INDIANA Councilmember Varner, Chairperson, Public Works and Property Vacation Committee, reported that this committee held a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Mr. Paul Bursch, 1301 Leeper Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, and Ms. Christine Lauber, 1227 Leeper Avenue, South Bend, Indiana made the presentation for this bill. Mr. Bursch advised that they are petitioning to vacate the street for three main reasons. First, they have had problems with cars parking late at night down on that street, there is a street light down on Leeper Avenue but there are two big walnut trees and the end of Peashway and it is dark down there and in the morning they find alcohol bottles and stuff like that. Secondly, the street is in need of repair, they just put in new storm drains in the area, but they were not planning on doing anything with Peashway. Last summer when they had a lot of the rains, the cracks in the street, it is checked so bad that he actually took his edger out there every week and mowed the street down and if he would miss cutting one week the weeks and grass would be six to twelve inches. Thirdly, the gardener's back their truck up in their and dump their lawn clippings and tree branches down on the back, which is just up from Michigan Avenue. At the end of the street is a guard rail you cannot see it because of all the overgrowth and there is a dumpster there because of the storm drain repair, which won't be there much longer, because they are almost finished.