09-09-2024 Zoning & Annexation Committee Meeting Minutes

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• CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Committee Vice Chair Gooden-Rodgers motioned to send Bill No. 39-24 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Committee Member White and carried by a vote of six(6) ayes. Committee Chair Dr. Oliver Davis -Aye Committee Vice Chair Ophelia Gooden Rodgers—Aye Committee Member Sheila Niezgodski -Aye Committee Member Karen White -Aye Citizen Member Stacy Odom -Aye Citizen Member Jordan Giger-Absent Discussion—LaSalle Park Neighborhood Zoning Plan Desiree Powell, CEO of DRBTS LLC, 3021 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Dallas,TX 75210, and Jorden Giger, 302 South Falcon Street, South Bend, IN 46619,of BLM South Bend,presented thoughts and suggestions on the LaSalle Park Neighborhood plan. Committee Member Niezgodski asked if this presentation was a conflict of interest as a Citizen Member was making a presentation on behalf of an organization. Council Attorney Bob Palmer stated that there is no conflict of interest as there was no vote following the presentation. If there had been a vote, the Citizen Member or Committee Member would need to file a disclosure. Desiree Powell is an urban planner based in Texas who focuses on education and awareness of zoning and land use for communities of color and activation and land use for ethical mobility. Jorden Giger stated that they have been engaged in the planning process since September 2024. Jorden Giger presented the demographic data for the LaSalle neighborhood. The LaSalle neighborhood is overwhelmingly low-income;the average household has one(1)person.After the year 2000, only ten (10) homes were built in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is fifty-nine percent (59%) black, twelve percent (12%) white, and twenty-nine percent(29%) Latino. Desiree Powell stated the zoning districts present in the LaSalle Park neighborhood. are Industrial (I), Commercial (C), Neighborhood Center(NC), Open Space (OS), Urban Neighborhood 3 (U3), Urban Neighborhood 2 (U2), Urban Neighborhood 1 (Ul), and Urban Flex (UF). Desiree Powell stated that her role in this project has been to provide technical support for what creates a neighborhood plan and what effects it will have in twenty (20) years. One (1) of the primary concerns of the neighborhood is the area directly north of Linden/Colfax Avenue, which is zoned Industrial. At the August neighborhood planning meeting, the City stated that it may become a wetland preservation area. The concern is that the area will be used for heavy industrial uses as it is directly across from neighborhoods, the Charles Black Center, and LaSalle Park. Jorden Giger stated that illegal dumping has occurred on that property, which is also a concern. The property is currently owned by an organization in Florida, and there have been investigations into code violations. Desiree Powell highlighted the proximity of the industrial zone and the neighborhood. Desiree Powell stated that the neighborhood needs more open space, and the neighborhood plan should represent that. Continued deterioration of the property to the north-zoned industrial will deter EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227 W.Jefferson Blvd. South Bend,Indiana 46601 p.574.235.9221 f.574.235.9173 www.southbendin.gov