July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
'Super' concerns (6/4/04)
Condo residents raise issues over proposed Wal-Mart
Several residents of Heritage Commons condominiums attended the Thursday meeting of the Portland Planning Commission to voice their concerns about the planned Wal-Mart Supercenter.
According to the plans drawn by Carlson Consulting Engineers of Tennessee, the super store will be located on Votaw Street, just west of the condos. The parking lot for the 155,017-square foot store will end 50 feet from those homes. No one from the company attended the 5 p.m. meeting.
Heritage Commons developer of properties Scott Neff said following construction of the new store there will be a large mound of dirt between the two properties. Although the size of the berm is not known, the plans call for it to be covered with grass and to have eight- to 10-foot tall trees to serve as a buffer between the properties.
Neff said most of the residents who expressed an opinion were concerned about privacy. Several said the berm might not be tall enough. They said people might be able to see through their windows, and car lights might shine in at night. Also, if the mound isn’t tall enough, the trees wouldn’t help much.
Other residents were concerned the increase in traffic might make it difficult for them to enter and exit their properties. They thought traffic might get backed up and block the drive.
Some wondered whether the stoplight Wal-Mart has applied for through the Indiana Department of Transportation (Continued on page 2)
(Continued from page 1)
— located at the intersection of Votaw Street and Industrial Park Drive — would be a three-way stop or a four-way stop.
Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bob Quadrozzi and Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier reminded the neighbors Thursday of the positive aspects of the development.
“This may be our only opportunity for another grocery store,” said Quadrozzi. “It will get people to start shopping in our community.”
“The consulting firm has been very accommodating and understanding with what our community needs,” Hosier said. “They want to be good neighbors.”
Jay/Portland Building and Planning administrator Bill Milligan added Ind. 67 will be rebuilt in 2006. The revision will change the highway to three lanes and will include deceleration lanes. He estimated the ground-breaking for the supercenter will take place a year from now. The opening of the store will coincide with the construction on Ind. 67, he said.
Milligan said he told Wal-Mart officials he would contact them after Thursday’s meeting. When he does, he will voice the neighbors’ concerns of the berm height, a walking path near the highway from the condos to the supercenter, drainage on each side of the mound and if the company would be willing to finish out Patriot Drive, which is located behind the condos.
He also will ask if Wal-Mart officials will agree to hold a public meeting on the development.
In other business, the board voted to recommended a map change request by realtor Mel Smitley for lots located at 517 S. Vine St. and 513 S. Helen St.
Smitley requested the lots be zoned from industrial to R-10.
One of the lots on Vine Street will be used for a Habitat for Humanity of Jay County house. A 28-foot by 100-foot section of the lot was previously zoned as R-10. The remaining 44-foot by 99-foot by 100-foot section was zoned as industrial, and Smitley asked that it be rezoned. The entire lot will be used for the new home.
Habitat board member Fred Bailey said construction on the house will begin on Monday, June 28. He said volunteers have already poured the footer and put the carport up. He expects the family will be able to move in around July 18. A ground-breaking ceremony was held May 27 at the 517 S. Vine St. site.
Smitley said he wanted the other four lots, which are 48.5-foot by 150-foot each rezoned so he could sell them. About two houses could fit on the four lots, he said.
Before the commission voted on the request, commission advisory member John Knipp questioned whether rezoning would violate the wellhead protection plan.
The purpose of the plan is to prevent groundwater contamination. Knipp was concerned about the change because there is a well near the lots.
Milligan said there was a house built right next to the well in the last year. If that was an issue, it would have come up in previous zoning, he said.
The request was unanimously approved by the commission, upon research on the wellhead protection act. The issue will now go before the Portland City Council, which will make the final decision on the map change request.
“Don’t send it back,” commission president Vicki Tague joked to attending council members.[[In-content Ad]]
According to the plans drawn by Carlson Consulting Engineers of Tennessee, the super store will be located on Votaw Street, just west of the condos. The parking lot for the 155,017-square foot store will end 50 feet from those homes. No one from the company attended the 5 p.m. meeting.
Heritage Commons developer of properties Scott Neff said following construction of the new store there will be a large mound of dirt between the two properties. Although the size of the berm is not known, the plans call for it to be covered with grass and to have eight- to 10-foot tall trees to serve as a buffer between the properties.
Neff said most of the residents who expressed an opinion were concerned about privacy. Several said the berm might not be tall enough. They said people might be able to see through their windows, and car lights might shine in at night. Also, if the mound isn’t tall enough, the trees wouldn’t help much.
Other residents were concerned the increase in traffic might make it difficult for them to enter and exit their properties. They thought traffic might get backed up and block the drive.
Some wondered whether the stoplight Wal-Mart has applied for through the Indiana Department of Transportation (Continued on page 2)
(Continued from page 1)
— located at the intersection of Votaw Street and Industrial Park Drive — would be a three-way stop or a four-way stop.
Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bob Quadrozzi and Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier reminded the neighbors Thursday of the positive aspects of the development.
“This may be our only opportunity for another grocery store,” said Quadrozzi. “It will get people to start shopping in our community.”
“The consulting firm has been very accommodating and understanding with what our community needs,” Hosier said. “They want to be good neighbors.”
Jay/Portland Building and Planning administrator Bill Milligan added Ind. 67 will be rebuilt in 2006. The revision will change the highway to three lanes and will include deceleration lanes. He estimated the ground-breaking for the supercenter will take place a year from now. The opening of the store will coincide with the construction on Ind. 67, he said.
Milligan said he told Wal-Mart officials he would contact them after Thursday’s meeting. When he does, he will voice the neighbors’ concerns of the berm height, a walking path near the highway from the condos to the supercenter, drainage on each side of the mound and if the company would be willing to finish out Patriot Drive, which is located behind the condos.
He also will ask if Wal-Mart officials will agree to hold a public meeting on the development.
In other business, the board voted to recommended a map change request by realtor Mel Smitley for lots located at 517 S. Vine St. and 513 S. Helen St.
Smitley requested the lots be zoned from industrial to R-10.
One of the lots on Vine Street will be used for a Habitat for Humanity of Jay County house. A 28-foot by 100-foot section of the lot was previously zoned as R-10. The remaining 44-foot by 99-foot by 100-foot section was zoned as industrial, and Smitley asked that it be rezoned. The entire lot will be used for the new home.
Habitat board member Fred Bailey said construction on the house will begin on Monday, June 28. He said volunteers have already poured the footer and put the carport up. He expects the family will be able to move in around July 18. A ground-breaking ceremony was held May 27 at the 517 S. Vine St. site.
Smitley said he wanted the other four lots, which are 48.5-foot by 150-foot each rezoned so he could sell them. About two houses could fit on the four lots, he said.
Before the commission voted on the request, commission advisory member John Knipp questioned whether rezoning would violate the wellhead protection plan.
The purpose of the plan is to prevent groundwater contamination. Knipp was concerned about the change because there is a well near the lots.
Milligan said there was a house built right next to the well in the last year. If that was an issue, it would have come up in previous zoning, he said.
The request was unanimously approved by the commission, upon research on the wellhead protection act. The issue will now go before the Portland City Council, which will make the final decision on the map change request.
“Don’t send it back,” commission president Vicki Tague joked to attending council members.[[In-content Ad]]
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