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REGULAR MEETING February 25, 2019
<br /> encourage further investment and development of Sample Street. We're on the right track with
<br /> Ignition Park. We need to take that further down the street,hopefully Grace Steel sets that example.
<br /> We have zoning for a reason. Earlier in the Committee, special exceptions were commented on as
<br /> a slippery slope. If that special exception enhances the value of the neighborhood, enhances the
<br /> value of the City, I'm all for it. I would be all for anything in this site that is manufacturing, that
<br /> is improving it. But giant debris piles, aren't going to do it. This site only has one (1) single lane
<br /> entrance or exit. They can have as many as fifty (50) trucks a day going through that. That's a
<br /> safety issue. We're going to have a dust problem. It's unsightly. It's late, I don't want to belabor
<br /> this. I am adamantly opposed to going down this path and I really think we would be selling out
<br /> the neighborhood if we go forward. As Council mentioned,they could go places out in the County
<br /> and other sites where I think this would probably be better suited and they could pile it as high as
<br /> they do in Osceola.
<br /> Pam Andre, 2920 West Sample Street, South Bend, IN, stated, Thank you for your time. I agree
<br /> with everything that David Andre has said about this property being rezoned. I am very familiar
<br /> with this property. It is down the way from 2920 West Sample. It is an odd location for the type
<br /> of business that wants to move in there because there are a lot of neighborhood houses across the
<br /> street from it. In my opinion, and I am very familiar with the price of that building, I believe this
<br /> company is looking for a cheap property to purchase and bulldoze the building with the existing
<br /> resources that they own. They will be able to inexpensively demolish this building and I am going
<br /> to dig into one (1) point that they made about the existing wooded area which will provide
<br /> screening. It is called scrub brush, and it is along the railroad tracks. That is not going to provide
<br /> any type of screening, so I just wanted to pick on that point a little bit more. Thank you for your
<br /> time and your work.
<br /> Tammy Beer, 2920 Sample Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I am here as part of the team at Grace
<br /> Steel. We've made an investment in Sample Street and in the community, and this new project
<br /> down the street is not going to help us to help the City's mission to better the community and
<br /> Sample Street. Thank you so much for your time and for being here so late.
<br /> Joseph Knells, 2920 West Sample Street, South Bend, IN, stated, I am an employee at Grace Steel
<br /> and as a company we've made a commitment to better that area and make a difference in the
<br /> community. We feel that this is not a step in the right direction. This seems like just a quick
<br /> opportunity and to me, it feels like it will be an end to redevelopment there in the future. Also,
<br /> when you head west down Sample Street, the majority of that side of building, you can see from
<br /> the road. If you put ten (10) foot fences, you'll still see piles over it. If you plant evergreens it will
<br /> still be fifteen(15)to twenty(20)years before they would be blocking a thirty(30)foot pile.Thank
<br /> you for your time.
<br /> Sharon Banicki, 3822 Ford Street, South Bend, IN, stated, This is in my backyard literally. If it
<br /> wasn't I would have been out of here two (2) hours ago. The reason that property is Heavy
<br /> Industrial is because we had old factories that have all basically moved out. We still have Raco
<br /> there,and they have semis coming. If you go down Sample Street in the morning and you get stuck
<br /> behind one(1)of the semis that is trying to back up into one of their bays,they back up traffic and
<br /> it gets to be a mess. You're going to add more traffic onto that and the street is already crumbling.
<br /> I'm not sure the infrastructure there will hold all of the extra trucks that are going to be coming
<br /> and going. Then you're talking about piles of debris. Tim, you know, you look at Drewery's every
<br /> day. Would you wish that on anybody else? But if you agree to this, that's what you're doing.
<br /> You're wishing the Drewery's pile over to the Westside, and that's not fair to us. We've got too
<br /> many good things that we're trying to do and we're coming along, and then to throw this? I think
<br /> it's better suited to be out on SR23 by the other gravel pit that's out there,somewhere in the County
<br /> where they're by themselves, but not in a residential area.
<br /> The petitioner was then given five(5)minutes for rebuttal.
<br /> Mr. Danch stated, Just to answer a couple of questions. The residential is located about three
<br /> hundred(300)feet away,on the other side of Sample Street.This is an existing industrial area. I'm
<br /> sorry,but it is Heavy Industrial for a permitted use. We mentioned to Council that we worked with
<br /> Community Investment to keep that building so there is some mitigation between what is seen
<br /> from the streetscape and running down Sample Street and from the residential houses over there
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