11-24-03 Council Meeting Minutes

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 24, 2003 that this committee held a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and sends it to the Council with a favorable recommendation. Mr. Dennis Whittaker, 1012 South 30th Street, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill on behalf of Gospel Center Church. Mr. Whittaker stated that the vacation of this alley is essential to future plans that the church has for expansion. At the present time the facility is crowded and they are in the process of planning an expansion at some time in the future. He reiterated that the vacation of this alley is going to be accompanied by the filing of an Easement Agreement that guarantees that the portion of the alley not abandoned is always accessible and would not be a dead end alley off of Mishawaka Avenue. 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 Varner made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill. Councilmember Coleman seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. BILL NO. 88 -03 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY: THE STREET TO BE VACATED IS A PORTION OF JEFFERSON BLVD. FROM CHAPIN STREET, WEST TO THE FIRST NORTH /SOUTH ALLEY FOR A DISTANCE OF 196.89 FEET AND A WIDTH OF 49.5 FEET. THE ALLEY TO BE VACATED IS THE FIRST NORTH/SOUTH ALLEY WEST OF CHAPIN STREET FROM JEFFERSON BLVD., NORTH TO THE END FOR A DISTANCE OF 160.71 FEET AND A WIDTH OF 10 FEET. BOTH JEFFERSON BLVD. AND THE ALLEY BEING A PART OF THOMAS' SUBDIVISION OF PART OF BANK OUTLOT 74, 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 Council with a favorable recommendation. Mr. Dan Akin, Vice - President, Danch, Hamer & Associates, Inc., 2422 Viridian Drive, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill on behalf of the Petitioner, the Northern Indiana Historical Society and Mr. Jeffrey Hodes. Mr. Akin advised that this petition is to vacate a portion of Jefferson Boulevard from Chapin Street west, approximately two hundred (200) feet, to its dead end and also an alley that is ten (10) feet wide from Jefferson Street north, approximately one hundred sixty (160) feet. The purpose of this vacation is to allow the construction of the Studebaker National Museum. The project will include perpetual access being provided both to the Northern Indiana Center for History as well as the residents that will be affected. He noted that the Northern Indiana Historical Society and the Northern Indiana Center for History own or control the property north, west and south of the proposed vacation. Ms. Charlotte Sobel, South Bend Heritage Foundation, 803 Lincoln Way West, South Bend, Indiana, informed the Council that the closing of this alley is to allow the additional land needed to build the new Studebaker National Museum. There will be a replacement alley when Jefferson Boulevard is vacated which will actually be built before to relocate all utilities. It will be 0