Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission was not willing to recommend the rezoning of a 225-acre tract of land near Milford for heavy industrial development Wednesday.
The board took another look at a request they tabled last month from property owner Harlan Beer to rezone the plot from an agricultural district to an industrial III district. Industrial III is the least restrictive of the county's zone classifications with regard to industrial development and activities.It allows for open land operations, concrete or asphalt plants, heavy manufacturing and fabricating, heavy repair and dismantling industries.
At the Nov. 7 plan commission meeting, attorney Steve Snyder, representing Beer, said Beer wants to market the land, located on the east side of Ind. 15 and south of CR 1400N in Van Buren Township, for development into an industrial park. More than 20 people attended Wednesday's meeting and indicated they were there to oppose the request.
Several residents with homes near the site of the proposed rezoning spoke against the request at the Nov. 7 meeting. Plan Director Dan Richard said the county has received numerous letters opposing the request.
Plan Commission member Charles Haffner made the motion to deny the request. Haffner said he would be open to discuss a request for a combination of industrial I, II and III zoning, which would provide a buffer between any future heavy industrial development and nearby residences. He said such a plan would still allow Beer to have more than 100 acres zoned industrial III.
Plan Commission member Anthony Etienne voted against the motion to deny the request.
In other news, the plan commission approved a favorable recommendation on a request from property owner David Tyler to rezone two properties to agriculture II zones. One of Tyler's properties, both of which are on the north side of Armstrong Road in Tippecanoe and Plain townships, currently is zoned residential and one is zoned agricultural. The properties are adjoining and, together, measure a total of 130 acres.
Tyler said he plans to divide the land into 14 large lots for residential development with the option of mini-farms. The property borders the south shore of Stanton Lake. Tyler said he is seeking the ag-II zoning in order to protect the environment of the area which includes wetlands. Agriculture-II zones include more restrictions than the current Ag-I zoning, but still allow limited ownership of livestock.
"A person could have a horse," Tyler said, "but, no feed lots."
Chris Paulus, a resident of the Stanton Lake housing addition, told the plan commission he is concerned about the negative effects Tyler's planned development could have on properties in Paulus' neighborhood.
"There are 81 homes in the Stanton Lake addition who will be affected," Paulus said. "Our concern is we will be the ones with road, mini-farms, drainage and septic problems."
Donald LeCount, who owns property neighboring Tyler's, said he isn't opposed to the rezoning as long as the spring-fed wetlands in the area are protected and potential property buyers are made aware that LeCount has a private gun range on his land.
The Kosciusko County Commissioners will hear all five request along with the plan commission's recommendations at their Dec. 21 meeting, starting at 9:30 a.m.
