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REGULAR MEETING
<br />MARCH 27, 2017
<br />Councilmember Gavin Ferlic explained the procedures to be followed for tonight's meeting in
<br />accordance with Article 1, Section 2 -11 of the South Bend Municipal Code.
<br />PUBLIC HEARINGS
<br />10 -17 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE
<br />AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR
<br />PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1905 E. GOODSON
<br />COURT, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT NO. 3 IN
<br />THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
<br />Councilmember Oliver Davis, Chair of the Zoning and Annexation Committee, reported that
<br />they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation.
<br />Angela Smith, Area Plan Commission, with offices on the 11th Floor of the County -City
<br />Building, South Bend, IN, served as the presenter of this bill. Ms. Smith stated, The petitioner is
<br />seeking to rezone the property here from GI, General Industrial District, to CB, Community
<br />Business District. The site was historically an industrial site, which was converted to several
<br />commercial uses that did not necessarily meet with the zoning ordinance, so their efforts today
<br />are to bring the site into compliance with their current zoning. Ms. Smith presented to the
<br />Council and public an aerial image of the existing building on the site, as well as the cellphone
<br />tower nearby. She stated, To the north, across the railroad tracks, are businesses fronting along
<br />Lincoln Way zoned CB and GB business districts. To the east is an industrial building zoned GI,
<br />General Industrial. To the south are single - family homes zoned SF2, Single Family and Two (2)
<br />Family. To the west is a retention area zoned SF2, Single Family and Two (2) Family. The
<br />existing building is proposed to be reused for the purposes here of the event center. Ms. Smith
<br />presented to the Council and public another image depicting the site. She stated, You can see that
<br />the parking lot is full of gravel and the separation between the alley and the site is very minimal
<br />and overgrown. Ms. Smith presented another image, depicting another view of the property. She
<br />stated, The site contains a 19,200 square -foot building that is supposed to be used as an event
<br />center. The preliminary site plan shows one - hundred and ten (110) parking spaces along with an
<br />interior off - street parking island. The screening fence would be a solid wood or vinyl fence. The
<br />east, north, and west property lines will be enclosed with a six (6) foot high chain -link fence with
<br />some additional landscaping. This comes to you from the Area Plan Commission with a
<br />favorable recommendation. The rezoning of the site to CB, Community Business, will allow for
<br />the reuse of a former industrial site. The proposed development will provide a series of upgrades
<br />and improvements that will mitigate the negative impact on surrounding properties and enhance
<br />the area.
<br />Mike Danch, Danch, Harner & Associates, 1643 Commerce Drive, South Bend, IN, served on
<br />behalf of the petitioner, David Nufer. Mr. Danch stated that the Nufers had purchased the
<br />property in October, 2016. He explained that at the time of purchase, it was being used as an
<br />event center. The Building Department informed the Nufers that the building was not zoned
<br />correctly for the uses they desired when purchasing the property. Mr. Danch stated, What we are
<br />trying to do this evening is to bring that property into compliance. What's required is for it to be
<br />in the CB District of the City of South Bend. Mr. Danch stated that they would be repaving the
<br />mostly gravel parking lot, bringing its capacity to one - hundred and ten (110) spaces. He stated
<br />that they would build a six (6) foot tall solid screening fence that will mitigate the sounds
<br />generated by the property. The rest of the site will have a six (6) foot high chain -link fence. The
<br />Nufers, as part of the event center, hired county police to do security, so, Mr. Danch explained,
<br />there will never be less than two (2) county police officers present for any of the events held at
<br />the site. Mr. Danch stated that Mr. Nufer has also had conversations with some of the residents
<br />who had shown up to the Area Plan Commission meeting that had some concerns regarding
<br />noise and parking difficulties. The hope is that, at the least, through signage and policing the site,
<br />there will be no more parking issues. Mr. Danch stated, What we would ask the Council this
<br />evening is to approve that zoning so that we are in compliance with the latest standards for the
<br />City of South Bend.
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