City Holds Hearings for Airport Properties Annexations
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw City Council held a public hearing Monday for voluntary annexation petitions for two properties owned by Warsaw Municipal Airport.
The petitioner for the voluntary annexation is the Board of Aviation Commissioners.
The city needs to approve an ordinance for the annexation of more than 116 acres of property, and 30 days later the annexation will take effect.
Mike Ragan, Warsaw resident, said he supported the annexation.
One property is east of the airport at CR 100E. The other property is north of the airport at CR 300N.
The council, at its April 16 meeting, acknowledged annexations for the airport-owned properties.
The properties are subject to the jurisdiction of the Kosciusko Area Plan Commission, and presently are zoned for agriculture uses.
The petitioner is requesting the properties be zoned industrial.
The council Monday approved resolutions establishing provisions of services to be annexed in Plain Township for CR 100E and CR 300N.
In other business, the council approved a strategic plan for the city.
The plan will provide vision and goals for the city for the next 3.5 years, according to Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer.
American Structurepoint, an engineering architecture and planning firm based in Indianapolis, conducted the plan for $5,000.
The council also held a public hearing for disposal of real estate property at 420 Little Eagle Drive. It is the Parks and Recreation Department “Boggs building.”
The council approved disposing of the property and putting it up for sale.
In June 2007, the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department acquired the Boggs Building to house its recreation division.
In August, the Pete Thorn Building became an option to house its recreation division with the Boys and Girls Club of Kosciukso County leaving the building.
After the recreation division moved out of the Boggs building, it was determined that it would be made into a rental facility.
However, due to the carpet and offices it was only offered as a meeting hall and not opened up to parties.
Since August, the building has only been rented twice. The parks and recreation department can’t justify the need of the building for future or present needs.
Larry Plummer, parks superintendent, recommended the property be sold.
City attorney Mike Valentine said the property has been appraised for $90,000.
He said the city has received one bidder for the property.
The terms of the sale will be advertised in June, and bids will be accepted at the June 15 Board of Works meeting.
Also during the meeting, Warsaw resident Richard Gaul attended the meeting to inform the council he emailed them regarding his concerns of Smart Meters.
He said he had concerns with them being installed in Warsaw and Kosciusko County that NIPSCO and REMC are adding to track electricity usage.
Follow staff writer Jennifer Peryam on Twitter at TUNews_Peryam
