Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Lake City Bank revealed plans Monday at the Warsaw Plan Commission meeting to build a full-service bank on Ind. 15, north of U.S. 30. The property is north of Lakeside Chevrolet, on a two-lot subdivision owned by Harvest Leasing Corp. The bank will build its future branch on about 2.5 acres with the remaining 9.5 acres available for other commercial users.
Mike Kubacki and Jean Northenor appeared before the plan commissioners, representing the bank. Attorney Paul Refior represented the property owner.
The bank will be similar to the structure off U.S. 30E.
The existing land is undeveloped and the commissioners approved a zoning change from light industrial to C-3/ arterial commercial.
Also approved for Harvest Leasing Corp. was a preliminary and final plat that includes the establishment of Haimbaugh Drive, which will be private.
Refior and surveyor John Kimpel presented a plat providing the location of water, sanitary sewer and storm water lines along with easements.
Steve Petro also attended the meeting. Petro Bros. LLC has a planned unit development under way on the other side of the highway. He was asked about widening the road at Petro Drive and he said there are plans to do so.
A light will be installed at the intersection of Petro Drive and Ind. 15N when a certain amount of commercial development is under way.
The plat was approved pending a $25,000 letter of credit for the street construction.
Also approved was a request by Michael Simpson representing Union Tool Corp. His petition was to amend the zoning ordinance to reflect a change from I-3 to C-2/general commercial zoning at 936 N. Detroit St., a 1.25-acre property with two lots.
Lot one is undeveloped and lot two is occupied by Russell Brown for a used car and landscaping business.
The commissioners approved the request of Michael King's preliminary and final plat to construct two duplexes at the corner of Sheridan and Scott streets, a .43-acre property.
Currently undeveloped, King said, access to the two buildings would be from a parking lot constructed off the north-south alley, west of Scott Street. The buildings would face Sheridan and Scott streets. The property is zoned R-2 and would be known as King's Court.
Each of the four units will have 900 square feet of living area with two bedrooms.
Kirstyn Niebbia, a Sheridan Street resident, remonstrated against the petition. She owns property adjacent to the undeveloped lot and backs into the alley with her vehicle. She said the increased traffic is unwelcome and construction of the duplexes would cause property values to go down. She suggested a single-family home would be more appropriate.
The board could not address the property values.
Niebbia was advised that a considerable landscape buffer would be installed, as shown on the plat.
She asked that a stop sign be installed in the alley to make sure vehicles went slowly. She was advised such an installation would be the decision of the traffic commission.
All the decisions will be given final approval by the city council.
In other business, the board discussed a summary of the long-range planning charrette held July 17 with the city building and planning department and the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission.
Members of the public also participated in the day-long event.
City planner Jeff Noffsinger said the recent charrette, designed to identify potential target areas of development and land uses, revealed the same results as one held about two years ago.
Better through-traffic in downtown Warsaw was desired along with the possibility of a western bypass road, perhaps linking with a similarly planned thoroughfare out of Elkhart County.
Assistant city planner Teresa Ho presented a map of land uses with current and possible roads.
The proposed bypass is a county project that may not come to fruition for a decade or two, Noffsinger said.
The charrette was one way the county could present possibilities and findings for the Indiana Department of Transportation for the project.
"We want to make sure we have a viable downtown first," Noffsinger said.
Commissioner Dewey Lawshe said one major problem downtown is the lack of overpasses at the railroad crossings - or an emergency medical service station on both sides of the tracks.
Another topic at the workshop was extended sewer lines to Leesburg and the area lakes once the second wastewater treatment plant is in operation, with future development along those lines.
Commissioner Joe Thallemer asked the others to plan on an evening meeting with the APC in September.
Plan commission members are: Joe Thallemer, Jim Gast, Dewey Lawshe, Lacy Francis, Richard Keeven and Alan Klingan. Jeff Grose was absent.
