11-26-18 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING November 26, 2018 we need to do for our City, County and all our citizens. I concur with Councilmember White on my vote. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic made a motion to adopt Substitute Bill No. 18-71. Councilmember Oliver Davis seconded this motion which carried by a roll call vote of eight(8) ayes. RESOLVE INTO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE At 8:14 p.m. Councilmember Karen White made a motion to resolve into the Committee of the Whole. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of eight (8) ayes. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic, Chairperson, presiding. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic explained the procedures to be followed for tonight's meeting in accordance with Article 1, Section 2-11 of the South Bend Municipal Code. PUBLIC HEARINGS BILL NO. 57-18 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTIES: FIRST EAST/WEST ALLEY LYING WEST OF LAWRENCE STREET AND NORTH OF CORBY BOULEVARD, RUNNING WEST 158 FEET+/- IN LENGTH AND TERMINATING AT AN EXISTING NORTH/SOUTH ALLEY, ALL IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Councilmember John Voorde, chair of the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee, reported that they met this afternoon and send this bill forward with a favorable recommendation. Mike Danch, Danch, Harner & Associates with offices located at 1643 Commerce Drive, South Bend, IN, served as the presenter for this bill. Mr. Danch stated, I am also representing the petitioner. We are asking to vacate a small portion of an east/west alley between Corby and Howard Streets. It is fourteen (14) feet wide by one hundred and fifty feet (158) in length. We have done residential development out in this particular neighborhood. The reason we are asking for this particular one (1) is to recombine some of the properties and do some more residential development for the neighborhood. We ask Council to allow us to vacate that alley. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic then opened the floor to questions from Council Members. There were none. This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Eric Deniger, 439 Corby Boulevard, South Bend, IN, stated, I'm conditionally in favor of this. I relocated from Granger to this area. It is a redevelopment area. I understand the practicality of needing to make this adjustment but I also believe that, should this be done, improvements to the road or alleyway they are recommending all this traffic would be going down would be required. It needs to be improved as it is dirt right now. Secondly, there is a concrete retaining wall when you turn into it and, in addition to that, I don't know what the codes are but to me it should be yellowed out so that the residents living in those homes shouldn't be allowed to park there because you can't see up or down Howard at that point. So there is a significant safety issue in that respect, especially if you drive a car like mine,when they plow, I can't get in or out of that. So I'm in favor of this as long as we know there are some safety improvements that are addressed. Mr.Danch stated,We had talked about this in the Committee meeting and,as part of any residential development, the City Engineering Department gets involved. As I had mentioned, in my experience when we've done residential development, that alley would have to be improved as well because it will be accessed by those residential homes. They will take a look at that and make sure all the safety distances are taken care of and we will have to pave that alley. That is a 13