05-23-11 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MAY 23, 2011 Councilmember Oliver Davis, Vice-Chairperson, Zoning & Annexation Committee, reported that this committee held Public Hearings on these bills this afternoon and sends them to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. th Ms. Christa Nayder, Staff Member, Area Plan Commission, 11 Floor County-City Building, South Bend, Indiana, presented the report from the Area Plan Commission. Ms. Nayder advised that she is presenting on Bill No. 13-11. She stated that the petitioner is requesting a zone change from O Office District & MU Mixed Use District to SF2 Single Family and Two Family District to allow a parochial high school. She noted that on site is vacant. The buildings of the former St. Joseph Regional Medical Center were recently demolished. To the north are medical office buildings zoned O Office District. To the east are vacant properties and the Women’s Care Center all zoned MU Mixed Use District. To the south is a Family Dollar zoned MU Mixed Use District. To the south across LaSalle Street is a property management office and a vacant gift shop both zoned MU Mixed Use District. To the west are parking lots used by the former hospital, and a few single family homes zoned MU Mixed Use District. The SF2 District is established to protect, promote and maintain the development of single family dwellings and two family dwellings in the urban core of the City of South Bend as well as to provide for limited public and institutional uses that are compatible with an urban residential neighborhood. The availability of public facilities (e.g., public water, public sanitary sewer, storm sewer, natural gas, electricity, telephone, etc.) is required for development within this district. No site plan is required for a rezoning to a residential district. According to the 1966 aerial maps, the hospital and parking areas were primarily located within the northeast corner of the property while many single-family residential uses were apparent within the southern half of the property. St. Peter Street and Madison Avenue traversed the site at this time. In 1983, the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center rezoned the property to the B Residential and G Height & Area District to all allow for the expansion of the original hospital. This expansion was completed by 1986 and included the razing of several of the original hospital structures and an expansion of the campus to the west and south. Several of the residential uses to the south were also razed and converted to parking areas for the hospital. Between 1986 and 1993, the campus completed its final expansion before its relocation. All the adjacent rights-of-way are two lane local streets. Per the 2035 MACOG Transportation Plan, there are no plans for any expansion (added travel lanes) to these streets. The nearest traffic counts were taken at St. Louis Boulevard north of Madison Avenue and at LaSalle Avenue east of St. Louis Boulevard and revealed counts of 2,537AADT (1994) and 11,781 AADT (2010), respectively. The site will continue to be serviced by City of South Bend sanitary sewer and water. The Department of Community and Economic Development supports this rezoning petition. The County Surveyor had no comment, and the City Engineer had no objection. The Building Department informed the petitioner that several developmental variances and a special exception to allow for off-site parking will be required. These petitions are anticipated to be submitted to the Area Board of Zoning Appeal for th consideration at their May 4 meeting. This rezoning petition meets the educational objective and associated polices with the City of South Bend’s Comprehensive Plan, City Plan. The proposed use meets the Northeast Neighborhood Development Area Plan’s objective of stimulating private sector investment within the neighborhood, including new construction, rehabilitation, and the reuse of vacant or underutilized land, buildings, and facilities. The most desirable use of the property, as identified with City Plan, is mixed use that is compatible within the context of the neighborhood. The surrounding property values should not be affected by the approval of rezoning since the proposed use is not a higher intensity use than its prior use as a regional medical facility. Furthermore, the redevelopment of this prior brownfield site is a positive investment within the neighborhood and may act as a further catalyst for additional investment. It is responsible growth and development to allow for the redevelopment of an underutilized and vacant property for a private parochial high school. The proposed use is not incompatible with the mixed uses located within the area. Based on information available prior to the public hearing, the staff recommends that this rezoning petition be sent to the Common Council with a favorable recommendation. The reuse of a recently abandoned regional medical facility for a parochial high school is compatible with the adjacent mixed uses and will be a positive investment in the neighborhood. 4