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On average, a Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission meeting can last several hours.
Wednesday, it was over in less than a half-hour to the delight of the board members. They approved almost all petitions that came before them.
One petition that was continued, however, was Heritage Group's petition for a preliminary plat approval for a residential subdivision on a 40-acre tract. Petitioners were not present at the hearing.
The property is on the north side of CR 200S, east and west of County Farm Road in Wayne Township.
Last month, the plan commission continued the petition to September to give the petitioners more time to gather more information from the drainage board, the county highway department and the city of Warsaw. Recently, attorney Steve Snyder sent a letter to the plan commission asking for a continuance because Heritage Group needed more time.
In July, the plan commission approved their petition to rezone the 40 acres from an agricultural district to a residential district. Ninety-nine single family residences will be built on the land. The 40 acres are part of a greater 160 acres that are being annexed by the city of Warsaw effective in January.
In another petition, Joel Vorndran petitioned to rezone a lot from a commercial district to a residential district. The property is on the east side of First Street and north of Elm Street in Pierceton.
Vorndran wants to add on to his house and it will be easier if the lot is rezoned.
Board member Charlie Haffner told Vorndran the value of his property would go down if he rezoned it.
"When we bought it, we assumed it was residential. It was never disclosed that it was commercial," Vorndran said. He said he prefers it to be residential anyway because he plans to live there all his life.
After being unanimously approved by the plan commission, the rezoning will go before the Pierceton Town Council for final approval.
Chris and Cheryl Bremer's petition for a preliminary plat approval for a residential development on one lot was also unanimously approved. The property is on the north side of Walnut Street and 231 feet east of CR 175E in Wayne Township.
The plan commission told the Bremers' representative there are existing agricultural buildings on the property now that will need to be cleared before the property can be used as a residential site. They also requested that underneath the title of the plat should be a clarification as to the demise of the west half of lot 5 in the plat of Bob El-Mar Estates.
