01-23-06 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 23, 2006 BILL NO. 85-05 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3747, 3801, 5661 NIMTZ PARKWAY, 3907, 3919, 3920 CRESCENT CIRCLE AND THE PROPERTY LOCATED IMMEDIATELY EAST OF 5661 NIMTZ PARKWAY COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT 1 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Councilmember Kuspa, Chairperson, Zoning & Annexation Committee, reported that this committee held a meeting this afternoon and it was the consensus of the committee to send this bill to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. th Mr. P.J. Thuringer, Staff Planner, Area Plan Commission, 11 Floor County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, Indiana, presented the report from the Commission. Mr. Thuringer advised the petitioner is requesting a zone change from “O” Office to “LI” Light Industrial to allow corporate printing, professional sales and distribution and research and development. On site is a vacant underveloped land and two flex office buildings zoned “O” Office.To the north is I-80 Indiana Toll Road. To the east are office buildings zoned “O” Office, Indiana Toll Road right-of-way, and Blackthorn Golf Club zoned “LI” Light Industrial. To the south are office buildings zoned “O” Office and Blackthorn Golf Club zoned “LI” Light Industrial. To the west is the Indiana Toll road right-of-way. The “LI” Light Industrial District is established to provide for development of office/warehouse, warehouse/distribution, wholesale, assembly and manufacturing or processing facilities which are clean, quiet, free of hazardous or objectionable elements such as noise, odor, dust, smoke, or glare, Permitted uses in this district tend to generate heavy traffic, require extensive community facilities, and many require limited amounts of outdoor storage. The LI District is also intended to function as a transitional district between the more intense general industrial districts and other less intense districts. The site is approximately 37 acres in size and currently has two buildings on it. The buildings and infrastructure are in place and ready for tenants. The site is accessed from Crescent Circle. Blackthorn Industrial Park was rezoned Light Industrial prior to the adoption of the zoning ordinance in 2004, which reclassified the petition area and areas to the south “O” Office. This petition would take the area back to how it existed prior to May 7, 2004, when the new Zoning Ordinance took effect. F. J. Nimtz Parkway has four lanes. Crescent Court has two lanes. In 2003, the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) counted 4,842 cars per day on Nimtz Parkway east of the Indiana Toll Road entrance. The site is served by City of South Bend sanitary sewer and municipal water. The Comprehensive Plan Policy Plan Goal 2 Objective A: Policy vii: Light industrial uses will be located in areas with highway access preferably with ready access to a limited-access highway interchange (i.e., within one mile) This petition is in compliance with the Comprehensive Policy Plan. This area is not designated for any specific land use by the Land Use Plan. The site is located within the Blackthorn Corporate Center. Currently there are a number of vacant parcels and a mix of Light Industrial and Office uses. The most desirable land uses are for those allowed in the “LI” Light Industrial, or “O” Office zoing districts. Surrounding property values should not be negatively affected with the rezoning. It will be responsible development and growth to zone Blackthorn Industrial Park as industrial. Based on information available prior to the public hearing staff recommends that this petition be sent to the Common Council with a favorable recommendation. Blackthorn Industrial Park was developed for industrial purposes. “LI” Light Industrial District will give the City more opportunities to bring corporate tenants into the Blackthorn development. This rezoning will return the zoning to its previous zoning designation before the adoption of the 2004 zoning ordinance. This area is ideal for development of office/warehouse, warehouse/distribution, and other industrial land uses because of its proximity to US 31 and the I-80 Indiana Toll Road. 4