Lifeline Group Plans Juvenile Housing Facility In Pierceton
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Lifeline Youth and Family Services plans to build a juvenile housing facility and school within the town limits of Pierceton.
The facility will house juveniles ages 8 to 18 who are placed there through court order or from other agencies.
Wednesday, the organization petitioned the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission to rezone 59 acres from an industrial 2 district to a public use district. The property is on the north side of Pequignot and 200 feet north of CR 250S in Washington Township.
The plan commission approved to recommend to the Pierceton Town Council to approve the petition. On rezonings, the plan commission is only a recommending body. The town council has final approval of the petition as it is within the town's limits. The town board will hear the petition Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall.
Attorney Steve Snyder, representing the petitioners under the name Cubs Development, said Lifeline operates juvenile facilities that provide housing for youngsters who have gotten into trouble. Lifeline will provide the youth with residences and schooling. The proposed school on the site is "rather large," he said.
The staffing ratio to students will be 1 staff member to 3 to 5 students. Each of the group homes will house 20 to 24 youths. A detention center will house about 10 children. The group homes will be medium security. The initial capacity of five group homes will be 100 to 120.
Snyder presented a letter from Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine which Snyder says is significant because Rovenstine looks at this facility as a service. Currently, youths from Kosciusko County must be taken to South Bend. This facility will allow Kosciusko County juvenile offenders to be closer to home.
The juvenile facility is being kept adjacent to industrial areas, Snyder said, so there wouldn't be any security issues with any nearby residential areas.
"This is the perfect area for it," he said.
Lifeline is ready to build the first group home as soon as possible. One of the reasons for the new facility is to provide security for the other places Lifeline operates, such as Riverwood Ranch, lack.
"It is truly a state-of-the-art facility. It is unfortunate it is needed, but it is needed," said Snyder.
No fence will surround the property.
"We are not building a prison."
Though there are no plans to screen it from the surrounding industrial or agricultural uses, Snyder said, it will be very well landscaped.
After a remonstrator voiced concern about water runoff, Snyder said retention areas will be provided so the water runoff is no greater than it already is. "We'll take care of our surface water."
The facility also will hook up to Pierceton's sewer and water services.
No large parking areas will be needed and there will be about 50 to 60 employees.
In other business, the plan commission:
• Voted to recommend to the Kosciusko County Commissioners to deny Gerry Barber's petition to rezone five acres from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the west side of CR 300E in Wayne Township. On rezonings in the county, the plan commission is only a recommending body to the commissioners. The commissioners will hear the rezoning Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
• Voted to recommend to the commissioners to approve Harvey Hayes' petition to rezone 4.542 acres from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the south side of Levi Lee Road and west of Old Road 15 in Plain Township. The commissioners will hear the rezoning Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
• Voted to postpone Tim Miller's petition to rezone ground from an agricultural district to a residential district until the Feb. 2 plan commission meeting. The property is on the south side of Pierceton Road and 300 feet west of CR 250E in Wayne Township.
Members of the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission are Vic Virgil, Charlie Haffner, Norm Lovell, Kevin McSherry, Dick Kemper, Kelly Easterday, Hal Strong, Larry Coplen and Don Arms. They meet at 1 p.m. in the Justice Building meeting room on the first Wednesday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]
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Lifeline Youth and Family Services plans to build a juvenile housing facility and school within the town limits of Pierceton.
The facility will house juveniles ages 8 to 18 who are placed there through court order or from other agencies.
Wednesday, the organization petitioned the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission to rezone 59 acres from an industrial 2 district to a public use district. The property is on the north side of Pequignot and 200 feet north of CR 250S in Washington Township.
The plan commission approved to recommend to the Pierceton Town Council to approve the petition. On rezonings, the plan commission is only a recommending body. The town council has final approval of the petition as it is within the town's limits. The town board will hear the petition Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall.
Attorney Steve Snyder, representing the petitioners under the name Cubs Development, said Lifeline operates juvenile facilities that provide housing for youngsters who have gotten into trouble. Lifeline will provide the youth with residences and schooling. The proposed school on the site is "rather large," he said.
The staffing ratio to students will be 1 staff member to 3 to 5 students. Each of the group homes will house 20 to 24 youths. A detention center will house about 10 children. The group homes will be medium security. The initial capacity of five group homes will be 100 to 120.
Snyder presented a letter from Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine which Snyder says is significant because Rovenstine looks at this facility as a service. Currently, youths from Kosciusko County must be taken to South Bend. This facility will allow Kosciusko County juvenile offenders to be closer to home.
The juvenile facility is being kept adjacent to industrial areas, Snyder said, so there wouldn't be any security issues with any nearby residential areas.
"This is the perfect area for it," he said.
Lifeline is ready to build the first group home as soon as possible. One of the reasons for the new facility is to provide security for the other places Lifeline operates, such as Riverwood Ranch, lack.
"It is truly a state-of-the-art facility. It is unfortunate it is needed, but it is needed," said Snyder.
No fence will surround the property.
"We are not building a prison."
Though there are no plans to screen it from the surrounding industrial or agricultural uses, Snyder said, it will be very well landscaped.
After a remonstrator voiced concern about water runoff, Snyder said retention areas will be provided so the water runoff is no greater than it already is. "We'll take care of our surface water."
The facility also will hook up to Pierceton's sewer and water services.
No large parking areas will be needed and there will be about 50 to 60 employees.
In other business, the plan commission:
• Voted to recommend to the Kosciusko County Commissioners to deny Gerry Barber's petition to rezone five acres from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the west side of CR 300E in Wayne Township. On rezonings in the county, the plan commission is only a recommending body to the commissioners. The commissioners will hear the rezoning Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
• Voted to recommend to the commissioners to approve Harvey Hayes' petition to rezone 4.542 acres from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the south side of Levi Lee Road and west of Old Road 15 in Plain Township. The commissioners will hear the rezoning Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
• Voted to postpone Tim Miller's petition to rezone ground from an agricultural district to a residential district until the Feb. 2 plan commission meeting. The property is on the south side of Pierceton Road and 300 feet west of CR 250E in Wayne Township.
Members of the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission are Vic Virgil, Charlie Haffner, Norm Lovell, Kevin McSherry, Dick Kemper, Kelly Easterday, Hal Strong, Larry Coplen and Don Arms. They meet at 1 p.m. in the Justice Building meeting room on the first Wednesday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]