04-25-2022 Common Council Meeting Minutes (Signed)

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REGULAR MEETING April 25, 2022 Councilmember Lee requests that the petitioner states their name and address and share key points before the council. Regina Preston, 838 Elmer St., South Bend, Indiana on behalf of the Far Northwest Neighborhood Association. We are requesting this alley vacation in order to build four (4) affordable housing units on Meade St. in our neighborhood. It's an exciting project for us and we have been working on it for a couple of years. Looking forward to being able to bring this much needed affordable beautiful brand-new construction to our community and make sure it's available to prevent displacement. We are looking to specifically identify those who can purchase it that are currently living in South Bend and maybe even currently living in our neighborhood, possibly as renters. We are requesting that the alley be vacated so that we can have a curb cut but the existing zoning doesn't allow curb cuts with a through alley. Looking to have it vacated. What is considered an alley is not a throughway; it is overgrown. Property owners have put cement blocks and barricades. Bushes are growing where the cars would normally pass through. It has been maintained for years by all the surrounding property owners act as if it was already part our property. We are looking to make this official. Regina Preston continues with a key point; there is an easement there. Once residents move in there how do we ensure that they don't fence it off and block access? There is an easement because their utility lines are back there. We are not allowed to completely block that off. That will be opened. Councilmember Lee requests Councilmembers' questions for the petitioner. Councilmember Hamann asks what the parking situation for the people that live in this block between Keller and Meade and Marquette. Are they parking in the front, have they already put in the curb cuts for themselves with driveways? Regina Preston responds this is the this is an old, well-established block within the neighborhood and there is currently a stretch of habitat homes on the east side of the block. There are older homes on the west side of the block; the northern half and all of those at whatever point in time have curb cuts. People park in their own driveways. There is no parking on the street. They all have driveways. Councilmember Lee responds to the public portion anyone wishing to speak in favor of Bill No. 12-22. Clerk Jones responds Jordan Giger. Jordan Giger 424 S. Michigan St. Unit 660, South Bend, Indiana I'm speaking in favor of the ordinance. I have been following the Far Northwest Neighborhood Association and familiar with the project. They put a lot of work into it. I wanted to speak on the record in favor of it. Councilmember Lee anyone else that wants to speak in favor of the public hearing on Bill No. 12- 22 is now closed. Requests for statements from Council. Councilmember White responds with I wanted to thank the Far Northwest Association for their commitment and dedication to brining this project to the point we have before us. It has been a long time coming and the work that they put into that area of our communities is greatly needed and much appreciated. I want to thank them for staying focused and for their dedication. President McBride states I would like to say congratulations to the petitioner. This has been a long time coming and a great day. Congratulations for getting this far on the project. I can't wait to see the end result. Councilmember Lee responds, I would like to say that before I became a City Councilmember, I was a member of the Far Northwest Neighborhood Association. They went through a lot of challenges and met at my church in order to get organized. They have been an agent of change for our neighborhood. This project is something that is going to be very impactful; four (4) units of affordable housing is a big deal. It has been a lot of work. Thank you all for continuing the work and the vision and we look forward to the next steps and bringing this to fruition. Councilmember Lee continues, I will now entertain a motion for Bill No. 12-22