09-26-05 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETINGSEPTEMBER 26, 2005 existence for approximately 31 years. Some of the aspects of the organizations is to promote and stabilize home ownership in the area. A lot of those original efforts were focused on single-family zoning. Ms. Ainsley challenges the investors that are buying in the neighborhood to the Near Northwest who routinely buys quite large homes and rehabs them back to their single -family original status. Homes sell very quickly, they have a stabilizing effect, there are a lot of young families moving into the area. No one is really opposed to rentals, however in this neighborhood over 65 percent of rentals in this area are transient rental moving less than every six (6) months or so. So where do you draw the line and get back to home owners and stability in the neighborhood. On behalf of the Near Northwest Neighborhood Organization and the neighbors they encourage the Council not to pass this bill tonight. Ms. Rhonda Redman, 518 N. Scott Street Apartment A, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she is a renters and does not have a problem with renters. However, there are some down sides to rental properties. People come and go, she stated that she has been a renter at the same location for 12 years. She understands that she is one of the few that have tried really hard to keep up the neighborhood in the 500 block of North Scott Street. This area was really dangerous at times and when she would converse with people and tell them where she lived, they would say aren’t you afraid to live there. She stated that they have worked together to build the neighborhood back to a place where it is safe to live, and everyone knows each other. The bottom line is where do you draw the line when asking for a special exception. She urged the Council to oppose this bill. In Rebuttal: Ms. Sara Williams advised that she would like to reiterate the quality of the tenants that they strive to bring to their rental properties. They have on several different levels a vested interested in this neighborhood. Ms. Williams stated that she owns ten (10) rental properties in South Bend, three of which are in this neighborhood. They also convert multi-family back to single-family and try to find a home owner to live in that property rather than an investor, that is always their first choice if they can do that. They have quite a vested interest in providing a stable community. She stated that’s why its called a Special Exception, because in this situation with the way the home was designed it would not be feasible to covert back to single-family. The parking situation will be addressed, by using an old curb cut, which they will have a drive-way installed so there will be parking on the property. Councilmember Dieter made a motion to defeat this Resolution. Councilmember Puzzello seconded the motion which carried and the Resolution was defeated by a roll call vote of eight (8) ayes. RESOLUTION NO. 3523-05 A RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE ADOPTION OF A DECLARATORY RESOLUTION DESIGNATING CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 1827 NORTH BENDIX DRIVE TO BE AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR PURPOSES OF A FIVE (5) YEAR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR MANN+HUMMEL USA, INC. WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, has adopted a Declaratory Resolution designating certain areas within the City as Economic Revitalization Areas for the purpose of tax abatement consideration; and WHEREAS, a Declaratory Resolution designated the area commonly known as 1827 , North Bendix Drive South Bend, Indiana, and which is more particularly described as follows: 14