Planners Deny Request To Vacate Road At Sechrist Lake
Planners Deny Request To Vacate Road At Sechrist Lake
Posted
-
Planners Deny Request To Vacate Road At Sechrist LakeKosciusko County Area Plan Commission voted Wednesday to recommend against a petition to vacate a platted road in the Shore Acres subdivision at Sechrist Lake southwest of North Webster.
Petitioner Jeff Heffelinger asked the county to vacate the 20-foot-wide road, EMS B60D Lane, that runs behind his home on EMS B61L Lane. The road hasn’t had significant traffic in years, and a previous owner had placed a shed on the lane as well. The road provides access to a little-used public beach.
The shed is in violation of county code, and Heffelinger, represented by attorney Steve Snyder, sought the road vacation rather than moving the shed.
Area Planning Director Dan Richard said the original plat says “the roadway was not to be encroached upon by private interests.” He also said the vacation would restrict public access to the beach.
Snyder said the beach access would not be affected by the proposed road vacation.
Commission member Mike Kissinger said it would be more difficult to restore the beach, which has eroded over the years, without the road. Kissinger also said he spoke to Heffelinger’s neighbor, who said that if the petition were approved he would seek to have the road behind his home vacated as well.
The council’s vote to recommend denial of the petition was unanimous.
In other business, the plan commission voted to recommend approval of rezoning about seven-tenths of an acre of property on Ind. 13 south of North Webster from agricultural to commercial.
Edward Woenker wants to use a wooded area in the rear of the property, about a quarter mile south of East CR 500N, for a stormwater retention pond.
Spencer O’Dell, of AR Engineering, agreed to have green screening installed to help hide the commercial property from a residential area to the west.
AR Engineering has been a part of building several Dollar General Stores in the area, but it was not specified that the Ind. 13 property considered would be for that purpose.
Both petitions will be considered by the Board of Kosciusko County Commissioners at its Dec. 18 meeting.
In a final business item, the plan commission gave permission for Linda Osher of Isaiah 11 Ministries to ask the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals for an exception to continue its operations on property zoned agricultural.
The ministry operates an animal rescue operation and counseling center for women and children on CR 100N near Atwood.
Richard said the ministry would be put on the BZA’s January meeting agenda.
