A professional office planned unit development was approved by the Warsaw city council Monday, after much discussion, by a vote of 6 to 1, with council president Jerry Patterson voting against the PUD.

Prism Properties LLC plans to develop a series of offices catering to medical professionals. The intent of the site is to complement the nearby Kosciusko Community Hospital campus, which is nearly landlocked. In addition to the 13 office buildings, using a common parking arrangement, two commercial sites designed with restaurants in mind would front Husky Trail.

The project was approved by the plan commission April 12. Councilmen Jeff Grose and Joe Thallemer sit on that board.

Patterson asked for a traffic study along Husky Trail, an area populated with housing subdivisions, Harrison Elementary School, several multi-unit apartment complexes, office buildings and North Pointe Theatres.

Donald and Dee James approached the board regarding the situation, with Dee saying Husky Trail cannot accept any additional traffic.

"Ever since Wal-Mart came in, everyone has been using Husky Trail to get there," she said. "Do you think people go all the way to Ind. 15 and U.S. 30?"

She and her husband live in the residential subdivision south of the school. She said at certain times, turning left out of her subdivision is a "nightmare."

She suggested a stoplight at North Pointe and Husky Trail and said something had to be done about the U.S. 30 and Parker Street intersection because traffic gets backed up there.

Thallemer said the PUD site is zoned R-2 now and it could develop into duplex apartments, adding even more traffic to the area. "The site is bordered by C-3 and R-3 zoning, so it fits," he said. "In general terms, it is a good plan."

When Patterson suggested a traffic study, Grose said waiting for those figures would be unfair to the developer who has an option to purchase the land.

Traffic figures taken four years ago are available along with a study conducted recently by the Troyer Group.

In 2000, the plan commission and city council voted against rezoning 41 acres to C-5 for a Meijer store. The business had pledged to widen and increase the number of lanes on Patterson Road, Parker Street and Husky Trail at no cost to the city. Local residents remonstrated against Meijer, a fact Dee James mentioned last night.

Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said improving Parker Street and the federal highway "is all about the money. It will cost millions to fix the situation out there."

"Multimillions," Grose added.

The board adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding positive drug or alcohol test results. If full-time and certain part-time employees test positive for drugs or alcohol, they will be terminated, said the city's human resources specialist Jennifer Whitaker.

Whitaker said in the past, employees were given several tests after an initial "positive" response.

The board also:

• Approved an appropriation of $315,000 ($295,000 from the general fund; $18,000 from the park fund and $2,000 from the cemetery fund) to pay for insurance premiums through November 2005.

Clerk Elaine Call said she expects a huge increase for policies, and while the money is appropriated, it does not have to be spent.

Payment schedules have changed from quarterly to semi-annual to annual invoices.

The city's 2004 budget has not been certified, Call said, and no appropriations have been approved by the Board of Local Government Finance.

• Approved a transfer of $20,000 from the cumulative capital development fund's professional services account to buildings, as requested by public works superintendent Lacy Francis Jr. The funds will go toward construction of an open garage for street department vehicles.

City councilmen are: George Clemens, Jeff Grose, Bob Morrison, Jerry Patterson, Bill Rhoades, Charlie Smith and Joe Thallemer. [[In-content Ad]]