Waubee Lake Rezoning OK'd Despite Protests
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Fifteen homeowners from Waubee Lake Tuesday tried to stop a development that will bring more neighbors to their retirement paradise.
Unfortunately for them, the Kosciusko County Commissioners, like the Area Plan Commission, needed a stronger argument than the residents' desire to "preserve the pristine rural nature" of their existing neighborhood near Old Ind. 15 and CR 1150N. The APC approved the rezoning on a 5-1 vote, with 3 abstentions.
"We raised the objection (to the APC) that this would put too much concentration of population in the lake area," said Alvin Schmucker, 71 E. Nelson Drive. "Where do we draw the line in the taking of prime agricultural land?
"This would also impact all the senior citizens - and that's primarily what we have in the area," he added. "We feel this would impact us unfairly, and it would take away from the pristine rural nature of the area, and that's the reason most of us built there."
County planning director Dan Richard said the APC considered the residents' request to deny, but said the commission saw this as consistent with the master development plan for the area.
"The APC saw this as rounding out the corner and connecting Milford with the residential areas already there," he said.
Commissioner Brad Jackson said from his perspective, he could see no reason why the commissioners should deny the rezoning.
"In terms of following our zoning guidelines, it doesn't get much better than this," he said.
The commissioners unanimously approved rezoning the 41 acres.
In other business, the commissioners also approved rezoning 161 acres at County Farm Road and CR 200S from Ag-I to residential. The tract is in the process of being annexed into Warsaw, which will zone the area residential and will allow the developer to beginning construction now, rather than wait for the annexation to take effect in January, Richard said.
The commissioners also approved rezoning two acres owned by Larry and Joyce Reed at the intersection of Ind. 13 and CR 200N from agricultural to a commercial zoning classification.
Additionally, the commissioners approved a contract with Morton Salt to provide road salt for next winter's snow season. The contract sets a price of $34.70 per ton and guarantees the price through April 15. [[In-content Ad]]
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Fifteen homeowners from Waubee Lake Tuesday tried to stop a development that will bring more neighbors to their retirement paradise.
Unfortunately for them, the Kosciusko County Commissioners, like the Area Plan Commission, needed a stronger argument than the residents' desire to "preserve the pristine rural nature" of their existing neighborhood near Old Ind. 15 and CR 1150N. The APC approved the rezoning on a 5-1 vote, with 3 abstentions.
"We raised the objection (to the APC) that this would put too much concentration of population in the lake area," said Alvin Schmucker, 71 E. Nelson Drive. "Where do we draw the line in the taking of prime agricultural land?
"This would also impact all the senior citizens - and that's primarily what we have in the area," he added. "We feel this would impact us unfairly, and it would take away from the pristine rural nature of the area, and that's the reason most of us built there."
County planning director Dan Richard said the APC considered the residents' request to deny, but said the commission saw this as consistent with the master development plan for the area.
"The APC saw this as rounding out the corner and connecting Milford with the residential areas already there," he said.
Commissioner Brad Jackson said from his perspective, he could see no reason why the commissioners should deny the rezoning.
"In terms of following our zoning guidelines, it doesn't get much better than this," he said.
The commissioners unanimously approved rezoning the 41 acres.
In other business, the commissioners also approved rezoning 161 acres at County Farm Road and CR 200S from Ag-I to residential. The tract is in the process of being annexed into Warsaw, which will zone the area residential and will allow the developer to beginning construction now, rather than wait for the annexation to take effect in January, Richard said.
The commissioners also approved rezoning two acres owned by Larry and Joyce Reed at the intersection of Ind. 13 and CR 200N from agricultural to a commercial zoning classification.
Additionally, the commissioners approved a contract with Morton Salt to provide road salt for next winter's snow season. The contract sets a price of $34.70 per ton and guarantees the price through April 15. [[In-content Ad]]