Patterson Road area residents and other interested parties spoke against a controversial rezoning petition at the Warsaw Plan Commission Tuesday.

Held in the courthouse in the old Superior Courtroom to accommodate a large audience, the planners ended up in a 3-3 vote, forwarding no recommendation to the city council. (See accompanying article.)

Menard's, a hardware chain, is asking that about 21 acres of a residential-1 zone be rezoned commercial-3. Much of the property from U.S. 30 northeast to Harrison Elementary School is already commercial.

The remonstrators cited increased traffic, possible well water contamination and unfair competition as reasons for the planners to deny the petition.

Jim Maze, owner of Warsaw Ace Hardware, gave the planners a petition against the rezoning.

He said the presence of the hardware chain would have an adverse effect on small businesses and siphon dollars out of the community. Instead of increasing jobs, jobs would be lost.

"The issue is balance," Maze said. "How many mega-stores can there be? Be fair and look to the community."

Harrison Elementary School Principal Randy Polston said he has watched the area grow for 15 years. Development includes a multi-screen cinema, an apartment complex and various residential subdivisions. The school now has 700 students, the largest in the Warsaw Community School Corp. system.

Polston said traffic is a concern, although the proposed road improvements to move the number of vehicles "looks good."

"We have eight buses and 80 to 90 parents dropping off or picking up students each day," Polston said.

Larry Buckmaster, 2702 Patterson Road, and Helen Winters, 2710 Patterson Road, are concerned about retention pond water runoff contaminating their drinking water wells.

"The retention pond is directly across the street," Buckmaster said. "It will be full of runoff from the parking lot - gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, antifreeze. I have a well that could be contaminated. Who will address my concerns then?"

Winters asked why the Meijer request was turned down in 2000 if rezoning was a good idea.

"There's been substantial growth on that side of town. Meijer also proposed to change the intersection. Why is it such a good idea now?" she asked.

Steve Krim of Lydia Drive drive said increased traffic is his concern.

Michelle Boxell of Normandy Lane reminded the board that there is a plan to follow and that "big box stores" weren't indicated along U.S. 30 in this area. [[In-content Ad]]