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Conditions were placed on all the petitions approved before the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission Wednesday.
Joe Callaghan petitioned the plan commission for preliminary plat approval for a residential development on 49.95 acres. The property is on the east side of CR 100E and south of CR 450N in Plain Township.
The property is part of the North Winds subdivision development. Previously the preliminary plat was approved, but more than two years lapsed on the approval. Callaghan had to get approval again for the preliminary plat.
According to Area Plan Director Dan Richard, the plan commission received a letter of remonstration against the petition from Jeff and Sherry Miner because of violations that already exist in the subdivision. The couple want the violations straightened out before any more homes go into the development. However, Richard said, all the violations have been taken care of through variance hearings.
Also remonstrating was Tony Miller because of drainage issues and concerns about how the development will affect his property value.
"It's my stance," Miller said, "it is going to affect my property value."
He also said the subdivision will need acceleration and deceleration lanes.
The petition was approved unanimously by the plan commission with the conditions the development have acceleration and deceleration lanes and the pond level in the subdivision be lowered to help with drainage.
Also approved was the petition from Downtown Atwood LLC, doing business as Bambi's Roofing. The petition is to rezone ground from an agricultural district to an Industrial II district. The property is on the north side of Old Road 30 in Prairie Township.
Richard said the property is next to Bambi's Roofing.
Attorney Richard Helm, representing the petitioner, said the old portion of Bambi's Roofing is under I-1 zoning standards but the new portion will be under I-2 zoning. He said it is a natural extension of the business' current use and the business will have more screening on the property.
There were no remonstrators to the petition.
Dick Kemper, county surveyor and plan commission member, said when the site plan is developed, the county drain will have to be considered and the easements protected.
The rezoning will go before the county commissioners for approval July 16 at 10 a.m. For rezonings, the plan commission is only a recommending body to the county commissioners.
The plan commission also approved with restrictions Carey Realty Co.'s final plat for a commercial subdivision on 17.628 acres. The property is on the east side of Ind. 15, approximately one mile north of Levi Lee Road and 3/4-mile south of CR 600N in Plain Township. The restrictions state the store fronts must be toward Ind. 15, and two surety bonds must be on file for improvement work yet to be completed.
As a starting point for discussion, plan commission intern Nate Schmidt presented a summary to the plan commission on other counties' mobile home ordinances. Schmidt gathered the information at the plan commission's request.
Schmidt said the ordinances vary but Kosciusko County is somewhere in the middle. Most of the other counties try to make a distinction between manufactured homes and mobile homes. Age requirements vary.
The three-page summary included the counties of Marshall, Noble, Elkhart, Wabash, Whitley and St. Joseph.
Marshall County defines a mobile home as a transportable dwelling unit, built in a factory, designed to be used as a year-round residential dwelling, constructed prior to Jan. 1, 1981. The definition does not include manufactured homes.
Noble County defines a mobile home as a transportable structure larger than 320 square feet designed to be used as a year-round residential dwelling and built prior to June 15, 1976. Manufactured home subdivisions allow for certain types of manufactured homes and they must be no more than 15 years old. Mobile homes are permitted only in the mobile home district.
Wabash County requires a special exception permit prior to placement of any mobile home in all areas except in a designated mobile home park. Requirements include at least 800 square feet of occupied space, gabled roof, all wheels and hitches removed and permanent foundations or suitable perimeter enclosure.
Whitley County requires manufactured housing to be constructed after Jan. 1, 1981.
The Kosciusko County plan commission will continue to look at mobile homes in the county at future meetings.
Members of the plan commission are Vic Virgil, Charlie Haffner, Kelly Easterday, Kevin McSherry, Don Arms, Hal Strong, Dick Kemper, Norm Lovell and Barbara Carwile. They meet at 1 p.m. in the county courthouse on the first Wednesday of every month.
