12-12-11 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 12, 2011 BILL NO. 63-11 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1145 NORTHSIDE BOULEVARD, 947 LOUISE STREET, AND A VACANT PARCEL LOCATED TO THE NORTH OF 1145 NORTHSIDE BOULEVARD AND TO THE WEST OF 947 LOUISE STREET, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT 3 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Councilmember Kirsits, Chairperson, Zoning & Annexation Committee, reported that this committee met on this bill this afternoon to discuss the pros and cons and voted to send it to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. th Ms. Christa Nayder, Staff Member, Area Plan Commission, 11 Floor County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Ms. Nayder advised the petitioner is requesting a zone change from MU Mixed Use District and LI Light Industrial District to MU Mixed Use District and CB Community Business District to allow athletic fields and a reception hall. On site is a vacant industrial building and two lots, one used for recreational purposes. To the north is a vacant industrial building being considered for a fire station, zoned LI Light Industrial District. To the east is a promotional company zoned LI Light Industrial District, and the YMCA zoned MU Mixed Use. To the south is the St. Joseph River. To the west is a railroad (unzoned) and the South Bend Farmer’s Market zoned MU Mixed Use. The MU Mixed Use District is established to promote the development of a dense urban village environment. The regulations are intended to encourage all the elements of a traditional urban village, including: storefront retail; professional offices; and, dwelling units located either in townhouse developments or in the upper stories of mixed-use buildings. The development standards in this district are designed to: encourage a pedestrian oriented design throughout the district; and, maintain an appropriate pedestrian scale, massing and relationship between buildings and structures within the district. The CB Community Business District is established to provide a location for high volume and high intensity commercial uses. Activities in this district are often large space users which may include limited amounts of outdoor sales or outdoor operations. Development within the CB District shall be coordinated to facilitate vehicular and pedestrian access from nearby residential districts. The total affected area is just over 4 acres. The area to be zoned to CB Community Business is 2.45 acres (Parcels A & C as shown on the site plant.) The area to be zoned MU Mixed Use District is 1.6 acres (Parcel B shown on the site plant.) Parcel A is open space. The only building on Parcel B is a 1,440 sq. ft. picnic shelter covering 2% of that site. Parcel C has a 7,900 sq. ft. building covering 15% of that site, and 29 parking spaces covering 52%. On November 2, 2011, a parking variance was approved by the Area Board of Zoning Appeals to allow for the reduced parking of the proposed use on Parcel C, by sharing 108 of the YMCA’s parking spaces. The building at 1145 Northside (Parcel C) has existed on this site since at least 1966. There was a building at 947 Louise (Parcel B) which was removed before 1986. Northside Blvd. is a two lane street. Louise Street is a two lane street. The Board of Zoning Appeals, at its November 2, 2011 meeting, gave a favorable recommendation for a Special Exception to allow the continued use of Parcel A as athletic fields. The Special Exception will be heard before the Common Council at the same meeting as the rezoning. The City Engineer would like to see the number of driveway opening reduced to two and a public sidewalk installed. The Future Land Use Map shows this area as Light Industrial and Mixed Use. With the exception of the YMCA, the remainder of this block is vacant or underutilized. The most desirable use would be to allow a development that would still protect the existing community assets. Due to the mixed use of this area, surrounding property values should not be negatively impacted. It is responsible development and growth to allow the reuse of an underutilized building that is compatible with surrounding uses. Based on information available prior to the public hearing the staff recommends that the petition be sent to the common Council with a favorable recommendation. The Area Plan Commission held a public hearing on 12