Ownership Of Turkey Creek Dam Transferred By Syracuse Council
April 21, 2021 at 10:07 p.m.
By Denise Federow-
Attorney Stephen Snyder spoke on behalf of Turkey Creek Dam Conservancy and presented the Syracuse Town Council with a survey showing an area where the dam and the accessory structures to the dam are located. He said after a lot of digging, he found out that the town did own that part of land since the 1920s. The town was being asked to sign a quit claim deed to transfer title to the Turkey Creek Dam & Dike Conservancy District. Once that’s transferred, the conservancy is responsible to maintain, repair and is liable if they don’t.
Snyder said if they’re going to maintain and repair, they need access to the property on all sides so they were being asked to grant an easement if they need to access it via Veterans Park.
In addition, the conservancy was asking the town to enter into an agreement with them like the one they’ve had with the Department of Natural Resources where the town would provide personnel to maintain lake levels for Syracuse Lake, which also affects the levels of Mud Lake and Wawasee Lake.
The Council approved the quit claim, granted the easement and agreement to provide personnel to check the gates and maintain the levels.
The former Shopko building has been vacant for over a year but now, with action taken by the Council, there may soon be a new owner for the building.
Snyder said the building was “a significant asset but it needs to be occupied. The problem is there is no retail store that wants a 44,000-square-foot facility in Syracuse.
He said the next step was to have an industrial facility that doesn’t look a lot different but that means rezoning the property from commercial to Industrial II. He reminded the Council that the county plan commission passed on the recommendation for rezoning and he said Industrial II has “significant restrictions,” such as no outdoor operations or outdoor storage unless it is behind a screen.
Snyder said Quality Engineering Services, a manufacturer of electrical components for the RV and marina industry, is looking for a facility. They currently have 30 employees and want to add more. The building would be a great fit for them and it puts the building back in use, however, the purchase is contingent upon the rezoning.
The council approved the rezoning.
In a related matter, Snyder asked the council to approve a declaratory resolution for tax abatement on a vacant building. Snyder said they want to add an additional 109 employees with additional salaries of $4,359,825. He said up until 2016, tax abatements on vacant buildings were only allowed for three years, but since that time it’s the same as new buildings and abatements can be offered for 10 years and that’s what they were asking for.
Snyder advised the Council members to explore consequences and benefits of that time period before they’re asked to approve the confirmatory resolution because then it will be binding.
Council President Larry Siegel said the town is receiving taxes on the building now, although it is decreasing. With the abatement, he said, it will go to zero for the first year, but it’ll also add significant jobs, economic development and everything it will do for the community.
The council approved the declaratory resolution granting the 10 years for now.
A public hearing was held on a confirmatory resolution for tax abatement for Aluminum Insights. He said the declaratory resolution was passed in January and the public hearing was supposed to be held last month, but an error by the Goshen News for the ad delayed that until this week. No one spoke for or against the tax abatement and the council approved the 10-year abatement on both the real and personal property.
Snyder said it is a new business and they plan to add 15 employees with total salaries of $717,600 and the cost of construction is $3.35 million.
The council was asked to approve another tax abatement request from Legacy Wood Products. The declaratory resolution shows the company currently has three employees with salaries of $100,000. They want to add seven more with additional salaries of $210,000 with real estate improvements of $275,000 for two lots in the new technical park and new equipment valued at $48,000. The abatement for Legacy Wood is also for 10 years for both real and personal property.
The Council rescinded ordinance 2021-03, which rezoned the old Syracuse Elementary School.
The rezoning request was for John’s Butcher Shop and the plans changed because a funding partner passed away. Snyder said since the ordinance was never recorded, he suggested the Council rescind the ordinance so those conditions are not imposed on a new purchaser and the property will revert back to the original zoning.
In other business, the Council:
• Approved and accepted a bid from HRP Construction, South Bend, as the low bidder on a new access drive and utility extensions at the new industrial park with a bid of $241,718.
• Approved an ordinance amending an ordinance regarding the disposal of grass clippings, limbs, brush and debris. The amendment states clippings, etc. may be placed in areas adjacent to the public right of way for removal by the town but this is not to include cut down trees.
• Approved an easement agreement with Kim Richardson for the southwest corner of Main & Brooklyn to widen the curve for Polywood. They agreed to pay Richardson $1,500 for that access.
• Approved an agreement for easement in the business tech park for lots 2, 3 and 5 to vacate the 20-foot utility easement and the 40-foot drive easement to replace with a 60-foot-wide utility easement.
• Approved the purchase of a new backhoe for $89,917.
• Heard the Parks Department is planning a Touch-A-Truck event for May 1 and the Farmer’s Market is opening May 3.
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Attorney Stephen Snyder spoke on behalf of Turkey Creek Dam Conservancy and presented the Syracuse Town Council with a survey showing an area where the dam and the accessory structures to the dam are located. He said after a lot of digging, he found out that the town did own that part of land since the 1920s. The town was being asked to sign a quit claim deed to transfer title to the Turkey Creek Dam & Dike Conservancy District. Once that’s transferred, the conservancy is responsible to maintain, repair and is liable if they don’t.
Snyder said if they’re going to maintain and repair, they need access to the property on all sides so they were being asked to grant an easement if they need to access it via Veterans Park.
In addition, the conservancy was asking the town to enter into an agreement with them like the one they’ve had with the Department of Natural Resources where the town would provide personnel to maintain lake levels for Syracuse Lake, which also affects the levels of Mud Lake and Wawasee Lake.
The Council approved the quit claim, granted the easement and agreement to provide personnel to check the gates and maintain the levels.
The former Shopko building has been vacant for over a year but now, with action taken by the Council, there may soon be a new owner for the building.
Snyder said the building was “a significant asset but it needs to be occupied. The problem is there is no retail store that wants a 44,000-square-foot facility in Syracuse.
He said the next step was to have an industrial facility that doesn’t look a lot different but that means rezoning the property from commercial to Industrial II. He reminded the Council that the county plan commission passed on the recommendation for rezoning and he said Industrial II has “significant restrictions,” such as no outdoor operations or outdoor storage unless it is behind a screen.
Snyder said Quality Engineering Services, a manufacturer of electrical components for the RV and marina industry, is looking for a facility. They currently have 30 employees and want to add more. The building would be a great fit for them and it puts the building back in use, however, the purchase is contingent upon the rezoning.
The council approved the rezoning.
In a related matter, Snyder asked the council to approve a declaratory resolution for tax abatement on a vacant building. Snyder said they want to add an additional 109 employees with additional salaries of $4,359,825. He said up until 2016, tax abatements on vacant buildings were only allowed for three years, but since that time it’s the same as new buildings and abatements can be offered for 10 years and that’s what they were asking for.
Snyder advised the Council members to explore consequences and benefits of that time period before they’re asked to approve the confirmatory resolution because then it will be binding.
Council President Larry Siegel said the town is receiving taxes on the building now, although it is decreasing. With the abatement, he said, it will go to zero for the first year, but it’ll also add significant jobs, economic development and everything it will do for the community.
The council approved the declaratory resolution granting the 10 years for now.
A public hearing was held on a confirmatory resolution for tax abatement for Aluminum Insights. He said the declaratory resolution was passed in January and the public hearing was supposed to be held last month, but an error by the Goshen News for the ad delayed that until this week. No one spoke for or against the tax abatement and the council approved the 10-year abatement on both the real and personal property.
Snyder said it is a new business and they plan to add 15 employees with total salaries of $717,600 and the cost of construction is $3.35 million.
The council was asked to approve another tax abatement request from Legacy Wood Products. The declaratory resolution shows the company currently has three employees with salaries of $100,000. They want to add seven more with additional salaries of $210,000 with real estate improvements of $275,000 for two lots in the new technical park and new equipment valued at $48,000. The abatement for Legacy Wood is also for 10 years for both real and personal property.
The Council rescinded ordinance 2021-03, which rezoned the old Syracuse Elementary School.
The rezoning request was for John’s Butcher Shop and the plans changed because a funding partner passed away. Snyder said since the ordinance was never recorded, he suggested the Council rescind the ordinance so those conditions are not imposed on a new purchaser and the property will revert back to the original zoning.
In other business, the Council:
• Approved and accepted a bid from HRP Construction, South Bend, as the low bidder on a new access drive and utility extensions at the new industrial park with a bid of $241,718.
• Approved an ordinance amending an ordinance regarding the disposal of grass clippings, limbs, brush and debris. The amendment states clippings, etc. may be placed in areas adjacent to the public right of way for removal by the town but this is not to include cut down trees.
• Approved an easement agreement with Kim Richardson for the southwest corner of Main & Brooklyn to widen the curve for Polywood. They agreed to pay Richardson $1,500 for that access.
• Approved an agreement for easement in the business tech park for lots 2, 3 and 5 to vacate the 20-foot utility easement and the 40-foot drive easement to replace with a 60-foot-wide utility easement.
• Approved the purchase of a new backhoe for $89,917.
• Heard the Parks Department is planning a Touch-A-Truck event for May 1 and the Farmer’s Market is opening May 3.
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