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REGULAR MEETING JULY 22, 2013
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<br />the neighborhood on trying to work on something good for this particular site. If she has chance
<br />for rebuttal, for those in attendance, I would ask that if you could explain a little bit more on the
<br />volume and placement of the cars and address Councilmember Dieter’s concerns and describe
<br />the landscaping as planned and the type of fencing.
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<br />Councilmember White: So you are not speaking in support, you are just asking for additional
<br />information.
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<br />Mike Divita: Yes, just more clarification.
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<br />Councilmember White: We will get to that point after the public hearing portion.
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<br />There was no one present wishing to speak in favor of the bill. Additionally the following
<br />individuals spoke in opposition to the bill:
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<br />Constance Green, 3217 Dunham, South Bend, Indiana, speaking on behalf of the Far Westside
<br />Neighborhood Association. We recognize that we want economic development and
<br />revitalization of the area. We respect the Council in the fact that you have a corridor plan which
<br />is coming up that would allow everyone to speak and have a voice. Our association surveyed
<br />and sent letters out to all these businesses in the last two years and we met with them and they
<br />wanted at that time nothing to do with the neighborhood. We went up and down Sample Street,
<br />Western Avenue, we passed out letters, and we mailed letters. One of the things that I have and I
<br />am under the understanding that there are two other wreck shops on Western Avenue owned by
<br />the owner and they are an eyesore. I personally living and driving down Western Avenue and I
<br />hardly see any automobiles moved out of there. I am concerned about the environmental
<br />protection. If he is going to repair cars and oil damage to the soil, what does it do to the
<br />infrastructure, the old sewer lines and the already possible contamination of LaSalle Park, Beck’s
<br />Lake? We need to look at some of those things before we make a decision to let the expansion
<br />go. Whether or not the plan will raise the value and respect and hope of the citizens that live
<br />there. All up and down Western Avenue there are car lots, restaurants, car washes, quick
<br />businesses to get in and roll over money, buy a cheap building, rent a piece of property and
<br />throw some cheap cars up there. A lot of times if I was being unethical those are just fronts, but
<br />I would never say without knowing. Where is all this quick money coming from to do
<br />everything and nobody needs investment, they have their own money.
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<br />Florence Jennings, 110 S. Lake Street, South Bend, Indiana: There a number of car lots up and
<br />down Western Avenue. My opinion, I don’t look at them as car lots, the other two lots that Jose
<br />has they are lot junk yards, the cars are packed in there like sardines, grass growing everywhere,
<br />you can hardly see the cars anymore. The cars are just sitting there piling up, getting tighter and
<br />closer together. The sketch that they have up on the screen is beautiful, the flowers, the fence,
<br />but all I have seen there is cars just piling up, junk getting tighter and tighter. If you allow them
<br />to have a bigger place, they are going to just bring more cars and pack them in tighter and tighter
<br />anywhere, and then what are you going to do? We don’t need another car lot on Western
<br />Avenue, we don’t need it. We need something for the children, the elderly, especially for our
<br />children because that’s our tomorrow are future. Something for our children to do, get them off
<br />the streets. I don’t know right now what that would be, but if I would sit down long enough I
<br />could think of something. I have sixteen grandchildren, there would be something we could do,
<br />but another car lot would not be it. But, I am not for it.
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<br />Billie Cannady: I am a concerned citizen, a resident of the community and I am in opposition at
<br />this time to the business owner because based on my observation after the last meeting that we
<br />had at the LaSalle Park Neighborhood Association, I drove up and down Western Avenue from
<br />Walnut Street all the way down to Peppermint Road and there are approximately 22 businesses
<br />that relate to cars and trucks, repairs etc. So therefore based on that being my main idea and
<br />reasoning as to opposing him expanding is because #1 as the business owner we are going to go
<br />with the habit of his housekeeping. He’s got everything packed in their now and the chances of
<br />him expanding he is going to pack it in again. Unfortunately, this is just my intuitive guess
<br />because what he is doing now and it’s all about profit. I don’t think this person when I met him
<br />seems to be a decent gentleman, very respectful, his representative, I have sat down and spoken
<br />to her, she’s a good representative I think the intention of good is there to some extent, but in the
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