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First Baptist Church in Pierceton wants to develop the old train depot in Pierceton into a youth center, according to church trustee Dave Chapman.
Wednesday, the church petitioned the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission to rezone the ground from an Industrial II District to a commercial or public use district so they can begin to make that happen. The property is on the north side of Market Street and east of Ind. 13 in Washington Township.
Chapman said the small congregation wants to move its youth work into the building first and eventually have the town youth center there. They will try to remodel the building but keep the theme of the old building intact. The size of the actual building is 50 feet by 80 feet with overhangs of 4 feet on the east and west sides and 8 feet on the north and south sides.
Dick Kemper, county surveyor and plan commission member, said the church's plans sound like a great use for the building and will be good for the community.
The plan commission approved recommending to the Pierceton Town Board that the property be rezoned to public use. On rezonings, the plan commission is only a recommending body. The Pierceton Town Board will hear the petition at its next meeting Monday at 7 p.m.
Wanda Woodward petitioned to rezone a lot from a commercial to a residential district. The property is on the north side of Pleasant Grove Drive and west of Ash Lane in Wayne Township. The plan commission approved unanimously recommending to the county commissioners that the rezoning be approved. The recommendation will go before the commissioners Aug. 27 at 10 a.m.
Rodney Bray petitioned to rezone property on the east side of Main Street and north of Section Street in Van Buren Township from a public use district to a residential district. Bray told the commission he just found out his property was zoned public use. As public use, Brady cannot make any changes to his property without a hearing before the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals.
Area Plan Commission unanimously approved recommending to the Milford Town Council that the property be rezoned. The Milford Town Council will hear the petition at 7 p.m. Monday at the town hall.
The last rezoning petition before the commission Wednesday was from Valley Springs Fellowship Inc., who wants to rezone property on the east side of Ind. 15, 2,350 feet north of Levi Lee Road in Plain Township, from an agricultural district to a commercial district. A landscaping business plans to relocate there. The commission unanimously approved the rezoning, which will go before the county commissioners Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. in the county courthouse, Warsaw.
Two final plats also were approved unanimously.
Shadow Lake Estates, off U.S. 30, was approved and has 19 lots, with future growth possible. With minor improvements yet to be made, Dale Custer, the developer, had to file a $2,000 surety bond with the county auditor to guarantee those improvements would be completed. Custer said depending on how the first phase of the subdivision sells, he hopes to start the next phase in 2003.
The other final plat was for Greystone Subdivision off the East side of Chapman Lake Drive, formerly known as the Turkey Creek Campground.
"It's in good shape, ready to go," said Area Plan Director Dan Richard.
