11-27-17 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING November 27, 2017 presentation(available in the City Clerk's Office). She continued, They are seeking to rezone from SF-2, Single-Family and Two (2)-Family to LI , Light Industrial. It is located on the corner of Parry and Western Avenue. To the north and to the west of the site are properties zoned LI, Light Industrial. To the south of the site are properties zoned SF-2, Single-Family and Two (2)- Family. To the east of the site, across Parry Street, are apartments zoned MU, Mixed-Use. There used to be single family home on the site which was demolished to make way for an expansion of the Robert Henry Corporation. Under the site plan they provided, the amount of parking would not be permitted under the setbacks however they were granted a variance subject to the rezoning decision. The existing site is only zero point seven(0.7) acres and it is proposed to be a gravel storage lot that would be screened by an eight (8) foot opaque fence and landscaping along Parry Street. This comes to you from the Area Plan Commission(APC)with no recommendation on the rezoning and a favorable recommendation on the Special Exception use. This is a two (2)part ordinance that includes the rezoning to the LI, Light Industrial, and a special exception use for outdoor storage in excess of twenty percent(20%) of the total gross floor area of buildings on the lot. Since there are no buildings on the lot, that threshold is exceeded pretty quickly with this site plan. Mike Danch, Danch, Harper& Associates,1643 Commerce Drive, South Bend, IN, served on behalf of the petitioner of this bill. Mr. Danch stated, I am representing the petitioner, Robert Henry Corporation. We are asking to rezone from the SF-2 district to the LI district for approximately only 3,000 square feet of area. We are trying to take the lot that had a house on it and make it a better area. The owner had received support from the Department of Community Investment at the time of purchase. We wanted to be sure we did exactly what we need to do to be able to move forward with the gravel area. We are committing to an eight(8) foot high wood screening fence. The setback coming back from the sidewalk right-of-way on Parry Street is about ten(10) feet. It will be a landscaping area. Not only would we have the wood screening fence but we would have the landscaping. We are also asking Council for that special exception for the gravel area. The Robert Henry Corporation has spoken to the neighboring residents as well as the Howard Park Neighborhood Association. There have been some neighbors worried about how this might affect their neighborhood plan. This rezoning is only temporary as is the gravel. This temporary status gives the ability in the future to move forward with the neighborhood plan. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Mary Bundy, 318 S. Frances Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I'm here representing the residents of the Howard Park Neighborhood as President of the Howard Park Neighborhood Association. We had Steve Henry come to our neighborhood meeting and all of the people at that meeting, by the time the meeting was over, had no opposition. We are generally in favor of this being the best use of the property for the time being. I then walked the neighborhood and approached people who were not at the neighborhood meeting and, out of those residents and property owners, there was no opposition. In fact,they were all for it and were hoping for a privacy fence. In general, we are for this use of the property.No matter what happens with this property, it will not affect the ongoing development. In fact I think this is better for the neighborhood. Someone said the City isn't taking this plot of land seriously toward planning for more residential development. What I would like to say to that is this neighborhood is driven by the market. People want to live here. It is a great area and highly walkable. The more the people move to it,the more that will drive Robert Henry Corporations out. With all due respect, we want it to be residential and we will get there. However for the time being, I don't think this adversely affects those plans. Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to send Bill No. 68-17 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Councilmember Tim Scott seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. 70-17 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST 4