Fiscal Plan for Wal-mart Portage Annexation Area in German Township

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Wal -Mart Portage Annexation Area SECTION I. INTRODUCTION A. General This Fiscal Plan represents the City of South Bend's (hereinafter, "City") policy for the annexation of property in German Township, St. Joseph County (hereinafter, "Annexation Area "), and was developed through the cooperative efforts of the Area Plan Commission and the following City Departments: Legal Department Department of Public Works South Bend Fire Department South Bend Police Department Department of Code Enforcement Department of Community and Economic Development Department of Administration and Finance B. Need For Annexation of New Area The City of South Bend, in partnership with the South Bend Redevelopment Authority and the St. Joseph County Airport Authority, initiated a regional economic development project involving the development of over 3,500 acres surrounding the Michiana Regional Airport and the Toll Road/St. Joseph Valley Parkway. Then called the Airport 2010 project, it was contemplated to be an ongoing private - public partnership resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment, and thousands of jobs for north - central Indiana. The potential development of the Annexation Area is well within the scope of activity that was anticipated, and encouraged, for this part of the County. For these reasons, it is desirable that the Annexation Area have the same development standards as its neighboring properties in the City. Development of properties adjacent the Annexation Area and within the City, are subject to the ordinances and standards of the City; development of the Annexation Area is subject to the ordinances and standards of St. Joseph County. The ordinances and development standards of the City and of St. Joseph County are not identical, nor are they necessarily compatible. Since the Annexation Area is contiguous to the City yet subject to different development standards, zoning and other ordinances, planning for the development of the City in this vicinity is inherently more difficult and potentially frustrated. The Annexation Area, therefor, is needed and can be used by the City for development, and is a natural and logical extension of the City boundary.