Fisher rezoning request moves forward (4/07/06)

A Portland meat company is almost cleared for expansion.

A city zoning board recommended for approval a request for rezoning by Fisher Packing Company — a request that could allow the business to expand to the north of its 300 W. Walnut St.

John Fisher asked that a lot located just north of his 300 W. Walnut St. business be rezoned central business from its current residential status.

That request was recommended for approval Thursday by the Portland Planning Commission.

Fisher recently purchased the lot and plans to raze the house currently on it. He hopes to add on about 4,500 square feet to the processing area of his business, and grow the retail area to about 3,000-square feet from its current 800-square feet.

Fisher said this morning the company needs to expand the processing area because of an expansion of the sausage and lunch meat line.

Fisher hopes to begin construction in the next six to eight weeks.

In October of 2004, Fisher announced plans to expand a small storage building located south of the current processing retail building, to serve as a retail area. Fisher said he scrapped this idea because meats would need to be constantly moved back and forth from the production building to the showroom. He now plans to use the storage building for a catering kitchen.

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Before commission members voted, Bill Milligan, Jay/Portland Building and Planning administrator, said all of the adjacent property owners were notified of the rezoning request and none objected.

Also Thursday, the commission unanimously voted to recommend the city council approve another map change request.

John Witt, owner of Witt’s Busted Knuckle Garage, asked for the location of his business to be changed to highway service from neighborhood business.

He wants to sell vehicles at the 611 S. Meridian St. location. Vehicle sales is a permitted use in a highway service area.

Also, Milligan said he is attempting to get the neighborhood all zoned as highway service to eliminate spot zoning. The block currently includes several different types of zoning, he said.

Witt said the business has been open for about four months, and he currently offers body and mechanical work.

“I just want to evolve with the times,” and sell vehicles, he told commission members.

Before the commission voted, Milligan said he has received no complaints on the map change request from adjacent property owners.

In other business, commission members decided to add auction houses to the list of special exceptions for areas zoned highway service, neighborhood business, central business and industrial.

Gregory Bubp and Phyllis Williams asked that auction houses be added to the zoning ordinance as a permitted use or special exception so they can periodically have auctions on Saturday afternoons at the rear of The Estate Gallery, 215 W. Main St.

They are hoping to lease the rear portion of the building from the county.

Milligan said he was hoping commission members would vote Thursday because the bid process to lease that portion of the building is expected to begin soon. Bubp and Williams said they wouldn’t bid on the space unless there was a possibility of using it for auctions, he said.

Jay County auditor Freda Corwin said this morning that bids are expected to be opened during Monday’s Jay County Commissioners meeting.

After deciding that auction houses should be added to the zoning ordinance, the commission had to decide whether to make it a special exception or a permitted use.

Milligan suggested it be listed as a special exception. This way, anyone who wants to hold auctions will first have to go before the planning commission.

This request will have to go before the city council for final approval, he said.

Also Thursday, commission members voted to make new building and planning administrative assistant Patty McLaughlin the recording secretary for the commission.[[In-content Ad]]