Little Crow Lofts Gets Variance For Parking Spaces
November 29, 2016 at 5:59 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Little Crow Lofts will be developed in the former Little Crow Foods building at 201 S. Detroit St. The variance from development standards will permit the petitioner to have fewer than two parking spaces per unit required in a multi-family dwelling. The property is zoned Commercial-4.
The proposed parking area will provide 58 spaces. The Little Crow Lofts project will create 42 residential units. If the petitioner was to provide two spaces per unit as outlined in the zoning ordinance, it would require 84 spaces.
Assistant City Planner Justin Taylor told the board the zoning ordinance allows the city planning department to approve comparable parking arrangements – such as one space per residential unit – in a C-4 zoning district.
He recommended the board approve the variance.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner said Warsaw has a lot of businesses downtown that aren’t required to have parking. “With residential, we try to assume some parking spaces, whether they lease the spaces for the units from some of the city parking options. In this case, they are providing at least one parking space for every unit ... so we feel comfortable the current request is sufficient,” Skinner explained.
Kevin McDonell, vice president of development for the Commonwealth Companies, which is the developer, general contractor and property management company for the project, said Commonwealth “is still working with the railroad and it’s been a very difficult process. I’m hoping that at the end of the day, we’ll have the space to the east of the building, we’ll be able to lease from the railroad and be able to provide additional parking stalls to get closer to the 2 to 1 that’s required.”
The challenge of the property, he said, is that it’s landlocked and surrounded by “a lot of railroad right of way. Unfortunately, the railroads aren’t always as motivated as other land owners may be, but I’m still optimistic that we may be able to get that. But given that the railroad will not sell us the property, they have the ability to lock into a lease, but we can’t get into a long-term lease with them, so we do need the ability to have the variance in order to have flexibility to move the project forward. We feel the 58 stalls are more than sufficient for the 42 units.”
Board Vice President Rick Keeven asked how many bedrooms the units will have. McDonell responded there will be seven one-bedroom units and 35 two-bedroom units.
Suzie Light, executive director of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, which is selling the Little Crow building to Commonwealth for the development of the project, told the board, “We highly encourage you to pass the variance so we can get it sold.”
There were no remonstrators, and the request was unanimously approved.
The board had a concern about traffic for the special exemption request by Dr. Lisa and Rich Timmerman for the property at 1404 E. Center St., which is zoned Residential-2. The Timmermans were seeking a special exception to permit a home occupation business.
Taylor pointed out there were several other similar businesses in the immediate vicinity and he recommended the board approve the request. The property is currently vacant, he said, because there was a fire.
Lisa told the board she’s had a practice in Dekalb County for almost 17 years now, and that was an office attached to her home. She is now moving to Warsaw to be closer to her daughter and granddaughter and wants her practice attached to their home here. She said she only works two days a week.
Board member Tammy Dalton asked what kind of practice did she have. Lisa responded she specializes in alternative medicine.
Lisa said the office will be built in the front, with a small apartment and garage in the back.
Dalton told Taylor, “My serious reservations here, and I know there’s already a cut in there in the front of that for Center Street for in and out traffic, but egads! I drive by there all the time, but I did specifically look at that today and I see a huge traffic hazard as close as that cut is that to that intersection, that I have serious reservations about that.”
She said coming in from the back from Bronson Street may be better.
“It’s fine, but that cut really bothers me as close to the intersection as it is,” Dalton continued.
Rich said his wife only works two days a week and only sees six to eight people on those days, so there won’t be a high flow of traffic. Lisa said only one client comes into her office at a time.
Skinner said the cut isn’t being reviewed at this time, only the use of the property. The site development stuff will be a part of the permitting process, he said. He said the request before the board was use related, not development standards.
Regarding suggestions that access be off Bronson Street or an alley, Rich said they could work with that.
Neighbor Lance Grubbs also expressed concern with the cut onto Center Street and said the best thing would be for the entrance/exit to be from the back alley.
The Timmermans’ request was approved by the board unanimously.
The board also approved:
• A use variance to permit the construction of a duplex in a Commercial-2 zoning district at 222 N. McKinley St., as requested by Brad Settle.
Settle told the board, “I think it would be an asset to the neighborhood. It will be a fairly large duplex – 1,200-plus square feet on each side.”
He said it will be a carbon copy of the duplex that’s about 1,000 feet to the east, which he also owns. “It will fit right in with the neighborhood,” Settle said.
There were no remonstrators.
• A variance from development standards for Benjamin Thomson at 1100 N. Park Ave. Thomson sought a special exception to permit a home occupation in a Residential-2 zoning district.
Thomson told the board he wants to occasionally assemble wood pallets a few times a year. All the work is done in one day. No materials will be stored on the site. There were no remonstrators.
• A variance from development standards to allow an internally illuminated monument sign at Edgewood Middle School, 900 S. Union St. The property is in a Residential-1 zoning district, and the existing land use is classified as institutional. The petition was presented to the board by Vanadco Signs.
Lauren Overmyer, with Vanadco Signs, said the new sign is going where the old one currently is and away from all the residential property. It is monochrome only, and the school opted not to go with full color, she said, but “it will look nice.”
• A variance from development standards to change the side yard setback along Mitchell’s Boulevard and Mandy Court in Belle Augusta subdivision from 7 feet to 5 feet. The property is zoned Residential-1. The variance will apply to all side yard setbacks in phase 1 of the development except corner lots 1, 7, 16 and 17 and where lots are effected by easements.
Neighbors expressed some concerns about the setbacks, but board members did not have any problems with the request.
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Little Crow Lofts will be developed in the former Little Crow Foods building at 201 S. Detroit St. The variance from development standards will permit the petitioner to have fewer than two parking spaces per unit required in a multi-family dwelling. The property is zoned Commercial-4.
The proposed parking area will provide 58 spaces. The Little Crow Lofts project will create 42 residential units. If the petitioner was to provide two spaces per unit as outlined in the zoning ordinance, it would require 84 spaces.
Assistant City Planner Justin Taylor told the board the zoning ordinance allows the city planning department to approve comparable parking arrangements – such as one space per residential unit – in a C-4 zoning district.
He recommended the board approve the variance.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner said Warsaw has a lot of businesses downtown that aren’t required to have parking. “With residential, we try to assume some parking spaces, whether they lease the spaces for the units from some of the city parking options. In this case, they are providing at least one parking space for every unit ... so we feel comfortable the current request is sufficient,” Skinner explained.
Kevin McDonell, vice president of development for the Commonwealth Companies, which is the developer, general contractor and property management company for the project, said Commonwealth “is still working with the railroad and it’s been a very difficult process. I’m hoping that at the end of the day, we’ll have the space to the east of the building, we’ll be able to lease from the railroad and be able to provide additional parking stalls to get closer to the 2 to 1 that’s required.”
The challenge of the property, he said, is that it’s landlocked and surrounded by “a lot of railroad right of way. Unfortunately, the railroads aren’t always as motivated as other land owners may be, but I’m still optimistic that we may be able to get that. But given that the railroad will not sell us the property, they have the ability to lock into a lease, but we can’t get into a long-term lease with them, so we do need the ability to have the variance in order to have flexibility to move the project forward. We feel the 58 stalls are more than sufficient for the 42 units.”
Board Vice President Rick Keeven asked how many bedrooms the units will have. McDonell responded there will be seven one-bedroom units and 35 two-bedroom units.
Suzie Light, executive director of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, which is selling the Little Crow building to Commonwealth for the development of the project, told the board, “We highly encourage you to pass the variance so we can get it sold.”
There were no remonstrators, and the request was unanimously approved.
The board had a concern about traffic for the special exemption request by Dr. Lisa and Rich Timmerman for the property at 1404 E. Center St., which is zoned Residential-2. The Timmermans were seeking a special exception to permit a home occupation business.
Taylor pointed out there were several other similar businesses in the immediate vicinity and he recommended the board approve the request. The property is currently vacant, he said, because there was a fire.
Lisa told the board she’s had a practice in Dekalb County for almost 17 years now, and that was an office attached to her home. She is now moving to Warsaw to be closer to her daughter and granddaughter and wants her practice attached to their home here. She said she only works two days a week.
Board member Tammy Dalton asked what kind of practice did she have. Lisa responded she specializes in alternative medicine.
Lisa said the office will be built in the front, with a small apartment and garage in the back.
Dalton told Taylor, “My serious reservations here, and I know there’s already a cut in there in the front of that for Center Street for in and out traffic, but egads! I drive by there all the time, but I did specifically look at that today and I see a huge traffic hazard as close as that cut is that to that intersection, that I have serious reservations about that.”
She said coming in from the back from Bronson Street may be better.
“It’s fine, but that cut really bothers me as close to the intersection as it is,” Dalton continued.
Rich said his wife only works two days a week and only sees six to eight people on those days, so there won’t be a high flow of traffic. Lisa said only one client comes into her office at a time.
Skinner said the cut isn’t being reviewed at this time, only the use of the property. The site development stuff will be a part of the permitting process, he said. He said the request before the board was use related, not development standards.
Regarding suggestions that access be off Bronson Street or an alley, Rich said they could work with that.
Neighbor Lance Grubbs also expressed concern with the cut onto Center Street and said the best thing would be for the entrance/exit to be from the back alley.
The Timmermans’ request was approved by the board unanimously.
The board also approved:
• A use variance to permit the construction of a duplex in a Commercial-2 zoning district at 222 N. McKinley St., as requested by Brad Settle.
Settle told the board, “I think it would be an asset to the neighborhood. It will be a fairly large duplex – 1,200-plus square feet on each side.”
He said it will be a carbon copy of the duplex that’s about 1,000 feet to the east, which he also owns. “It will fit right in with the neighborhood,” Settle said.
There were no remonstrators.
• A variance from development standards for Benjamin Thomson at 1100 N. Park Ave. Thomson sought a special exception to permit a home occupation in a Residential-2 zoning district.
Thomson told the board he wants to occasionally assemble wood pallets a few times a year. All the work is done in one day. No materials will be stored on the site. There were no remonstrators.
• A variance from development standards to allow an internally illuminated monument sign at Edgewood Middle School, 900 S. Union St. The property is in a Residential-1 zoning district, and the existing land use is classified as institutional. The petition was presented to the board by Vanadco Signs.
Lauren Overmyer, with Vanadco Signs, said the new sign is going where the old one currently is and away from all the residential property. It is monochrome only, and the school opted not to go with full color, she said, but “it will look nice.”
• A variance from development standards to change the side yard setback along Mitchell’s Boulevard and Mandy Court in Belle Augusta subdivision from 7 feet to 5 feet. The property is zoned Residential-1. The variance will apply to all side yard setbacks in phase 1 of the development except corner lots 1, 7, 16 and 17 and where lots are effected by easements.
Neighbors expressed some concerns about the setbacks, but board members did not have any problems with the request.
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