10-13-03 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 13, 2003 committee held a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the Council with a favorable recommendation. Mr. Jeff Myers, Staff Planner, Area Plan Commission, 1805 Hickory Road, South Bend, Indiana, provided the report from the Area Plan Commission. Mr. Myers advised that the Petitioners are requesting a zone change from "A" Residential, "a" Height and Area to "C" Commercial, "a" Height and Area (Parcel I); "O" Office (Parcel II), and `B" Residential, "a" Height and Area (Parcel III) to allow offices, multi - family, small retail uses and a restaurant. Mr. Myers informed the Council that the property contains a single family home. Located to the north and east are single family homes in the County zoned "R" Residential. To the south is a single family home in the County zoned "R" Residential and commercial uses in the City of South Bend zoned "C" Commercial, "a" Height and Area. To the west are industrial uses in the City zoned "D" Light Industrial, "f' Height and Area. Access to the site is from Portage Road. Water and sewer are available to the site. The drainage has not been addressed by the Petitioner. The total site to be rezoned is 6.05 acres. Of that, the buildings will occupy sixteen per cent (16 %) of the site, parking and drives will occupy thirty -four per cent (34 %) of the site and open space will occupy fifty per cent (50 %) of the site. A check of the Agency's maps indicates that no public wells, wetlands, flood or environmental hazard areas are present. The site plan is preliminary. The City Engineer advised that a drainage plan is required at the final site development plan stage. The approach, accel /decel lane design and pavement restoration should be shown on the final site plan. The Area Plan Commission, at its Public Hearing held on September 16, 2003 sent this Petition to the Council with a favorable recommendation subject to a final site development plan and subject to cross - access easements to the south in anticipation of future development. The St. Joseph County /City of South Bend Comprehensive Plan states that satellite commercial areas should be located on major thoroughfares and this rezoning meets this criteria. Mr. Mike Danch, Danch, Hamer & Associates, 2422 Viridian Drive, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill on behalf of the Petitioners, Salah and Cynthia Hilal. Mr. Danch advised that this project involves a mixed use commercial and residential development on the west side of Portage at 4005 Portage Avenue. The site plan breaks the development into three (3) parcels. The southeast corner of the site will contain a small strip center which will take up 1.73 acres of the site. The buildings will occupy about twelve thousand (12,000) square feet which will have small retail and possibly a restaurant. Parking will be placed along the entire perimeter of the existing building. At the northeast corner of the site a building is being proposed that will encompass approximately five thousand (5,000) square feet. This is known as Parcel II for which rezoning to "O" Office is being requested. The building will be the maximum size building that is allowable under that requirement and will be placed toward Portage. The back portion of the property will have approximately forty (40) two (2) story town homes which will be connected to water and sewer. This entire development will have one (1) access point off Portage Road. There will be an ingress /egress easement that will allow access out to Portage. There will be a deceleration/acceleration lane for access along Portage and there will be screening along the entire south boundary and the boundary toward where the "O" Office development will occur. Mr. Danch noted that drainage requirements will be met and will be addressed at the final site plan stage. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. There being no one present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill, Councilmember Aranowski made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill. President White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. -5-