03-12-01 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 12, 2001 Mr. Byorni noted that the Area Plan Commission conducted a Public Hearing on this bill on February 20, 2001 and sends this petition to the Council with a favorable recommendation subject to a final site plan. The "PHC" Professional/Health Care zoning for this property would create a buffer between the "C" Commercial zoning district located to the south and west and the residential neighborhood to the north and east. Mr. Mike Danch, President, Danch, Hamer & Associates, Inc., 2422 Viridian Drive, Suite 201, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill, representing Memorial Health Systems, Inc. and Environmental Health Laboratories. Mr. Danch stated that this bill requests the rezoning of two (2) pieces of property at 616 East Washington Street, which is an existing house, and 109 South St. Louis which is the existing medical building. Environmental Health Labs has their corporate office just west of the existing petition site and owns the existing house. They would like to rezone the house for office use. They have also contracted with Memorial Health Systems to buy the existing building which is at the southwest corner of Washington and St. Louis Boulevard. This structure will be renovated and used for office space as well as a fitness center for the employees of Environmental Health Labs and a storage area for their records for their corporate office. The existing house contains approximately two thousand nine hundred (2,900) square feet and the medical building contains approximately five thousand six hundred (5,600) square feet. Access to the site is off of Washington and St. Louis Boulevard. There will be thirty -three (33) parking spaces even though only nineteen (19) are required by ordinance. Drainage will meet all the City requirements and the property is already hooked up to sewer and water. This rezoning will be a good buffer between the existing commercial to the west and south and the residential area and professional offices to the north and east. 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. Jim Larkin, 12042 Covered Wagon Court, South Bend, Indiana, Vice - President of Mass Technology Corporation which does business as Environmental Health Laboratories noted that they are the contingent purchasers of the property at 109 South St. Louis Street and the current owners of the property at 616 East Washington Street. Environmental Health Laboratories analyzes municipal drinking water for more than seven thousand (7,000) cities in the United States and surface water for state and federal governments. They are planning a two hundred thousand ($200,000.00) dollar renovation of the building located at 109 South St. Louis Boulevard. Their intention is to make that their corporate offices. In doing so, they will be able to provide their employees nineteen (19) parking places plus an additional fourteen (14) parking places. This building will facilitate the continued expansion of their business in South Bend. He noted that their main laboratory is located at 110 South Hill Street. There was no one else present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this bill. Mr. John Byorni informed the Council that at the Area Plan Commission Public Hearing it was indicated that at some point in time the house might be demolished and it would all be a parking lot. Mr. Byorni wanted to make this point in the eventuality that if this happens it will not have to come back before the Council for further action. Councilmember Coleman made a motion for favorable recommendation to full Council concerning this bill as substituted. Councilmember King seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. BILL NO. 10 -01 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE, AND ESTABLISHING AN HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE RAILROAD BRIDGE LOCATED ACROSS THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER, ADJACENT TO THE ANGELA STREET BRIDGE, IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA