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REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 24, 2016 some commercial development. This project has been before Council before and it is almost the same as this one (1) but before we had forty -two (42) residential units and this time we are up to fifty -six (56) units of residential development along with commercial development. The property that is on the corner of Rex and Portage has also been added to this project site and it is currently owned by the City of South Bend. That will allow for additional parking for this project. The parking areas have screening so all adjacent residential will be screened from the parking lot. One (1) of the other things we are asking the Council to do is approve two (2) special exceptions. The reason for them is because we have off -site parking. The parking lot to the south and also the five (5) spaces to the east on California, because they are not on the same piece of property that the building is located on. We have to have a special exception approved for off -site parking. The Area Plan Commission gave no recommendation on that due to some confusion between what was approved for the parking variance. All lighting will have to stay on -site and there will be no spillage over to the other properties. There were no questions from Council. Those from the public who spoke in favor of the bill: Kathy Schuth, Executive Director at the Near Northwest Neighborhood (NNN) Association located at 1007 Portage Avenue, we are part of the development team of this project and have been working for four (4) years on it. She stated she lives just at the other end of this block. In a simple manner, this is a zoning request that makes sense for Portage Avenue. It is within an area that is a Mixed Use zoning throughout this area as a node with the NNN across the street. All of the surrounding parcels of land around it are also Mixed Use. The special exceptions asking for parking are basically the only way we would be able to reutilize this building at a zero (0) lot line fashion and allow parking to be used. Over the course of four (4) years we have had over twenty (20) public meetings inviting neighbors to participate and give feedback. At our most recent meeting, which was September 28th, 2016 approximately twenty -five (25) people participated and at the end of the meeting overwhelmingly asked what they can do to support the project. Mike Griffin, 704 California Street South Bend, stated he is right down the street from this project. This would be so awesome for our neighborhood and such a great development with all the other good stuff going on in the NNN. People are in an "all -in" mode for this development and hopefully the City will not only support this but do anything they can to make clear its support for this project it would really help down state so they know there is wide - spread support. The neighborhoods right near there think this would be great and be an improvement over what is a bad eyesore in the neighborhood. No one from the public spoke in opposition to the bill. Councilmember Tim Scott stated this is his district and four (4) blocks from his house. The thing that you have here is a building that could be completely torn down and be another brown -field site or a good repurpose. This has a huge basement under the building which is incredible. There has been a lot of energy going on in the NNN. That has been the mission of the program as well as the repurposing of buildings. Councilmember Dr. Varner stated if the City is behind this we should see more public statements in favor of this proposal. Councilmember Tim Scott made a motion to adopt Bill 52 -16. Councilmember Oliver Davis seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. 53 -16 PUBLIC HEARING ON PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND REQUESTING A SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 331 WAYNE STREET, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT NO.2 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 5