When the mixed-use development at the site of the former Gatke Corp. is completed, there will be 83 residential units and some commercial space.
Wednesday, Rebar Development President and owner Shelby Bowen petitioned the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals for a use variance to allow a mixed-use/residential development in an Industrial-3 zoning district at 2321 E. Winona Ave. The request was unanimously approved.
In presenting the petition, City Planner Justin Taylor told the board the proposed project features 75 units (later corrected by Bowen to be 83) and potential uses like commercial, retail and office spaces.
“This area is within the Argonne Corridor and is a part of the 2020 Vision Plan. The plan calls for the redevelopment of this property and recommends such uses as retail, office space and residential. The general corridor vision has been encouraging a mixed-use neighborhood in this area,” Taylor said. “So based upon the information provided and the findings of fact, it is the opinion of the planning department that this use variance should be ruled favorably.”
Taylor said the property has been sitting vacant for over 30 years.
City attorney Scott Reust pointed out Taylor said 75 units, but the letter from the petitioner said 83 units.
Bowen explained, “One clarification being, he’s probably correct. At one point, 10 of the units were going to be initially commercial or residential. Now they’re residential, so they were kind of considered ‘flex units’ in the original plan. Now they’re going to be residential plus some commercial space.”
Board member Jeff Johnson asked if all the issues with the property have been resolved. Taylor said they were remediated in the early 2000s, but there’s ongoing testing and monitoring.
“We’ve done air, water, soil. Now we’re down to the last test and that’s an order for us to demolish the structures they’ll actually test for hazardous materials. And how that will impact us is whether we can crush them and use them as fill, or do we have to do some other type of remediation on the existing structures,” Bowen said. “The land, there’s some bad dirt on the far west that we’ll have to manage during construction, but otherwise we have the path forward to develop the site.”
Board President Tammy Dalton asked about the address listed as 2321 E. Winona Ave. She said technically there is no access from the property out to Winona Avenue. Taylor said that address will probably be changed to McKinley Street.
Bowen said Rebar Development has been working on the project for the better part of three years.
“We’re at the 10-yard line on the testing to get the release to do the demolition and then move right in to development,” he said.
When he first saw the property several years ago, he said he loved it as it was hiding in plain sight.
“It’s gnarly today, but its proximity to Winona and Winona Lake, and easier access northeast. A lot of folks that are working outside of Warsaw, who currently aren’t living here, we think would like to live here, and so this spot really appealed to our vision for redevelopment,” Bowen said.
There will be a “really nice” plaza on the north side of the building, and some nice views of the lake on the south side once you get up to the second through fourth floors. There’s amenity spaces on the fourth floor for residents, including an outdoor terrace and cafe.
“We think this connectivity, both to the Krebs Trailhead and maybe to downtown to the north, and, of course, to Winona to the south, we plan to create a trailhead here and mend that connection across Winona Avenue,” he said.
There will be adequate parking, based on the final plan, he continued, to accommodate residential and commercial use.
Board Vice President Rick Keeven pointed out their website at rebardev.com has the project listed under Gatke Warehouse & Lofts. Bowen said that was at the start of the development and it’s changed to R.W. Lofts.
“What’s interesting is ... I’ve been to a lot of town events, meetings and talked to people. Not everybody looks fondly on the Gatke era - I guess when they left and how they left the site, which is in pretty rough shape. And so, we did some research. R.W. is Reuben Williams, who is really fondly looked at here locally from Civil War on up through being editor of the Warsaw Times and so we thought that was more appropriate. So we’ll roll out a new brand and marketing exercise,” Bowen stated.
Johnson made a motion to approve the petition, Board member Bob Coffelt seconded it and it was approved 5-0.
In another case before the board, Gloria Saldivar petitioned for a special exception to allow a home occupation nutritional supplement business in a Residential-2 zoning district at 513 N. Ellsworth St. The case was tabled from the November meeting due to the board not having a quorum.
Taylor told the board the business will take place in an accessory structure located in the driveway. The petitioner stated that their hours of operation will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. They anticipate 20 to 30 customers per day. There is parking available in the petitioner’s driveway, as well as an adjacent parking lot owned by a neighbor. The homeowner will be the only employee of the business.
The planning department recommended the variance be ruled variably, he said.
There were no remonstrators and the board approved Saldivar’s petition unanimously.