Warsaw Planners OK Menards’ Planned Unit Development
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
With two conditions, the Warsaw Plan Commission on Monday approved the final plat for the Harvest Ridge planned unit development (PUD).
On Feb. 14, the Commission approved sending a favorable recommendation on the PUD, being developed by Menards Inc., to the Warsaw Common Council. The Council approved the PUD on general terms on March 7 and referred it back to the Plan Commission for second approval. City Planner Justin Taylor told the Commission Monday that the subdivision, which is just east of Menards, also was reviewed by the technical committee on March 23.
As approved by the Council, 30.5 acres will be subdivided into 91 lots containing a mix of detached single-family residential units and attached zero lot line residential units.
Taylor said Monday, “There are still a couple outstanding things that we would like to see cleared up before the plat is recorded, but we can still move forward with the approval of the final plat this meeting.”
He said the Commission could approve the petition for the final plat contingent on those issues being cleared up.
In his comments, Taylor also noted a 10,200-square-foot lot was set aside for a neighborhood park to fulfill the need for greenspace.
“It is the opinion of the planning department that you should give final plat approval for the Harvest Ridge PUD,” Taylor said. “As a reminder, the petitioner will have to submit bonds for any outstanding public infrastructure - so that’s one of those things that we deal with at the planning department level.”
He said they would hold the plat until the developer presented the bonds for review by city engineer Aaron Ott. Taylor said there were still a couple small environmental things that needed to be cleared up with the storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) before it’s final so they asked the Commission approve the final plat for the PUD contingent on the bonds and the completion of the SWPPP.
Commission Vice President Rick Keeven asked about the 10,200 square feet of greenspace because he didn’t recall it being on the original petition. Taylor said the developer added that on the preliminary plat after Councilwoman Diane Quance requested it.
Ott then explained what the SWPPP is.
“That is an element of our Indiana Department of Environmental Management. It’s the piece that satisfies state law for disturbances of both during construction and post-construction, mostly relative to erosion, sediment, pollutions, but also it captures additional pollutants, environmental concerns within that same body. So, any project that is going to disturb more than 1 acre has to develop a SWPPP. A SWPPP has to be presented to our MS4 department at the city, or stormwater utility. They are one and the same. There’s specific guidelines that IDEM has that have to be met with the SWPPP,” he said.
The city was not quite satisfied with a couple of those, he said, or at least didn’t have enough information on to be comfortable with them but the city is working with the designer to address those concerns. The opinions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Fish & Wildlife are being sought on the matters. Ott said it really involves five lots that are going to be adjacent to wetlands. Ott said the petitioner was being cooperative and he was very comfortable with how it’s moving forward.
Tom O’Neil, real estate representative for Menards Inc., was the only person from the public present. He said they think that the existing greenspace buffer should be maintained behind Menards as it is. As homes are built, they expect new trees will be installed on the properties.
“There’s a significant vertical drop that occurs down to the Menards store site. The transition from the residential down to the store will help sort of inset the store development and alleviate a lot of the view corridor in our estimation,” he said.
Ott made a motion that the Plan Commission approve the final plat with the condition of a satisfactory bond being provided, as well as continue to work with the city’s storm water department to get the construction general storm water permit issued. Keeven seconded the motion and it was approved 8-0.
