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REGULAR MEETING
<br />FEBRUARY 13, 2017
<br />Councilmember Davis asked, Did you already plan to enhance the landscape at that meeting?
<br />Mr. McMorrow responded, We buffed it up since, yes.
<br />Councilmember Davis asked, And what made you buffer it up since?
<br />Mr. McMorrow responded, It was the comments from the public and the Area Plan Commission.
<br />Councilmember Davis asked, Did you plan to extend Dylan Drive like you have done?
<br />Mr. McMorrow responded, We did. Our initial plans call for it to intersect with -
<br />Councilmember Davis interjected, And what made you continue with that?
<br />Mr. McMorrow responded, Public comment and the Area Plan Commission.
<br />Councilmember Davis asked, Your off - premises signs ... that also came from where?
<br />Mr. McMorrow responded, That was a conversation that drew out of that hearing, with the public
<br />present at the Area Plan Commission hearing.
<br />Councilmember Davis asked what the petitioner had gotten from hearing from the public.
<br />Jeff Smoke, Great Lakes Capital Portage Prairie III, LLC, 112 West Jefferson Boulevard, South
<br />Bend, IN, responded, First of all, we appreciate your recommendation to table it for three (3)
<br />weeks to allow more time for community outreach and collaboration. I attended the Portage
<br />Township town hall meeting that they organized —that our neighbors organized —and it was
<br />spirited at first, and a bit tense, but we organized a second town hall meeting at the German
<br />Township Library and were better able to educate and inform, like Brian here tonight, and also
<br />listen to their concerns and share with them some of the compromises we have made regarding
<br />the setbacks and the landscaping, and also some of the traffic exclusions the City is proposing.
<br />Councilmember Davis asked, After reflection, what do you think about what you have learned
<br />from hearing from the public in both those meetings?
<br />Mr. Smoke responded, Initially, we were surprised at the amount of neighborhood reaction,
<br />because this was originally zoned for the same use. So, originally we were surprised, but we
<br />were happy to engage them and learn more about their concerns. I think one (1) big thing about
<br />this was the traffic out there, so I think that is going to be great to have that at the forefront now
<br />for a resolution with the City. So, I think that was the biggest thing that came about from all of
<br />our collaboration.
<br />Councilmember Davis stated that many of the issues expressed earlier in the evening by residents
<br />was about that traffic. He asked, Don't you share some of the same concerns about that? How do
<br />you plan to go in with the neighbors to fight that issue, to make sure it is resolved?
<br />Mr. Smoke responded, Absolutely. For a good development you have to have good traffic flow,
<br />and it doesn't make sense to not have the proper infrastructure in place. So, we are proactively
<br />working with the City. I think Corbitt is going to talk tonight about some of the studies that they
<br />have done already, and some of the solutions they are going to propose.
<br />Councilmember Davis stated that they would make sure to have more up -to -date data when
<br />studying traffic, as the currently available data is from 2014.
<br />Mr. Smoke responded, Sure. I think there's one from November, 2016 right on Adams Road,
<br />actually.
<br />Councilmember Gavin Ferlic stated, You mentioned a number of retained jobs —about two -
<br />hundred (200) or three - hundred (3 00) retained jobs. Are there any additional jobs, as well?
<br />Mr. Smoke responded, Erin Canarecci is here tonight from CTDI and she can speak to that, but,
<br />briefly, there are up to one - hundred and fifty (15 0) brand new jobs that will be created. These are
<br />higher - paying jobs —$13 to $28 an hour, with nice bumps after two (2) years.
<br />Councilmember Ferlic asked Mr. Smoke to talk about the type of business this is and
<br />approximately what number of trucks would leave this facility on a daily basis, as he had
<br />observed that quite a few trucks leave the FedEX facility nearby.
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