County Commissioners Approve Wawasee Drive Compromise
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
The offer was to vacate lakefront public access to Lake Wawasee, and in exchange get a new, safer road that meets county specifications.
In the end, the Kosciusko County Commissioners approved a compromised vacation of a portion of East Wawasee Drive and relocation of a public way near Waveland Beach and Enchanted Hills in Syracuse.
On April 4, attorney Steve Snyder appeared before the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission with what at the time was termed as an “all or nothing” offer from his client, North East Wawasee LLC.
So the plan commission unanimously approved a vacation of the roadway in exchange for the softening of the sharp S-curved East Wawasee Drive all at the expense of Snyder’s client.
That offer was modified before Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, and Snyder told the commissioners he met with those opposed from the Enchanted Hills Property Owners Association.
North East Wawasee LLC. was looking to vacate the roadway, giving it an additional 20 feet of lakefront property and also give Enchanted Hills Property Association 20 feet of lakefront property.
In exchange, North East Wawasee LLC would demolish a property it owns just north of the current roadway to allow for the straightening of the road.
The cost of demolishing the home as well as building the new road up to county and state specifications would fall on North East Wawasee.
The plan commission, at the time of its meeting, wondered whether the Enchanted Hills Property Association would want to pay the additional taxes required for that lakefront property.
During that meeting, Ron Simms, board member for Enchanted Hills, said his board was worried that the subdivision’s beach area would become landlocked and that a retaining wall would have to be replaced.
Despite the compromise brought forth by Snyder, which allowed anyone currently with access to the lake to keep it and the county benefiting from a new, straighter roadway, people still had concerns they aired to the commissioners Tuesday morning.
Attorney Paul Stoelting represented Enchanted Hills and said the property association didn’t want the added taxes.
Steve Dixon, vice president of the property association, and Tony Zurelli, an attorney for a nearby property owner, also laid out concerns to the commissioners.
Dixon told the commissioners that he spoke with the county’s sheriff’s department and claims that the current roadway was unsafe was unfounded.
Dixon said there had been a major accident in that area and that with a straighter road cars would increase their speed along with the residential area.
Dixon also objected to the road project being done in the summer when the beachfront area is used by residents and children.
“You have 650 property owners who live here year-round versus one who lives in Arizona,” said Dixon.
Zurelli said his client didn’t have a huge objection to the straightening of the road but took issue with the offer.
“You’ve been offered a carrot to give away public rights,” said Zurelli.
Several others expressed concern that straightening the road would create cars traveling at a higher rate of speed.
In the end, the commissioners voted 3-0 to leave the north half of the right of way alone and access to it open.
There also will remain access to the lake from the north and west.
Road and drainage issues will be addressed by the county and paid for by North East Wawasee LLC. The LLC in turn will gain more lakefront property.
Commissioner Ron Truex also assured all those in attendance that the county would post speed limit signs in the area and address any public safety concerns.
The commissioners’ next meeting is May 8 at 9 a.m. in the old courtroom at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.[[In-content Ad]]
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The offer was to vacate lakefront public access to Lake Wawasee, and in exchange get a new, safer road that meets county specifications.
In the end, the Kosciusko County Commissioners approved a compromised vacation of a portion of East Wawasee Drive and relocation of a public way near Waveland Beach and Enchanted Hills in Syracuse.
On April 4, attorney Steve Snyder appeared before the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission with what at the time was termed as an “all or nothing” offer from his client, North East Wawasee LLC.
So the plan commission unanimously approved a vacation of the roadway in exchange for the softening of the sharp S-curved East Wawasee Drive all at the expense of Snyder’s client.
That offer was modified before Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, and Snyder told the commissioners he met with those opposed from the Enchanted Hills Property Owners Association.
North East Wawasee LLC. was looking to vacate the roadway, giving it an additional 20 feet of lakefront property and also give Enchanted Hills Property Association 20 feet of lakefront property.
In exchange, North East Wawasee LLC would demolish a property it owns just north of the current roadway to allow for the straightening of the road.
The cost of demolishing the home as well as building the new road up to county and state specifications would fall on North East Wawasee.
The plan commission, at the time of its meeting, wondered whether the Enchanted Hills Property Association would want to pay the additional taxes required for that lakefront property.
During that meeting, Ron Simms, board member for Enchanted Hills, said his board was worried that the subdivision’s beach area would become landlocked and that a retaining wall would have to be replaced.
Despite the compromise brought forth by Snyder, which allowed anyone currently with access to the lake to keep it and the county benefiting from a new, straighter roadway, people still had concerns they aired to the commissioners Tuesday morning.
Attorney Paul Stoelting represented Enchanted Hills and said the property association didn’t want the added taxes.
Steve Dixon, vice president of the property association, and Tony Zurelli, an attorney for a nearby property owner, also laid out concerns to the commissioners.
Dixon told the commissioners that he spoke with the county’s sheriff’s department and claims that the current roadway was unsafe was unfounded.
Dixon said there had been a major accident in that area and that with a straighter road cars would increase their speed along with the residential area.
Dixon also objected to the road project being done in the summer when the beachfront area is used by residents and children.
“You have 650 property owners who live here year-round versus one who lives in Arizona,” said Dixon.
Zurelli said his client didn’t have a huge objection to the straightening of the road but took issue with the offer.
“You’ve been offered a carrot to give away public rights,” said Zurelli.
Several others expressed concern that straightening the road would create cars traveling at a higher rate of speed.
In the end, the commissioners voted 3-0 to leave the north half of the right of way alone and access to it open.
There also will remain access to the lake from the north and west.
Road and drainage issues will be addressed by the county and paid for by North East Wawasee LLC. The LLC in turn will gain more lakefront property.
Commissioner Ron Truex also assured all those in attendance that the county would post speed limit signs in the area and address any public safety concerns.
The commissioners’ next meeting is May 8 at 9 a.m. in the old courtroom at the Kosciusko County Courthouse.[[In-content Ad]]
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