December 5, 2017 at 5:50 p.m.
City rejects zoning request
Portland City Council
City rejects zoning request
By Rose Skelly-
A piece of farmland near Portland Municipal Airport will remain as agricultural ground.
Portland City Council on Monday rejected a request to have the parcel rezoned.
Council members also briefly discussed the Sheller Globe south building’s future.
Richard Schafer had requested that his property of about 12 acres, located at 825 W. 100 North, Portland, be rezoned as an industrial property. It is currently an agricultural residential property.
Portland Plan Commission had approved his request, but the final decision was up to council.
In presenting the request to council, John Hemmelgarn, director of the Jay/Portland building and planning department, recommended members take caution when making the decision to rezone, as the city could lose control of what business builds there.
“The permitted uses out there, just to run down a few, food processing, general manufacturing, light manufacturing,” Hemmelgarn said. “If it is rezoned and (Schafer) doesn’t sell it to the city or he can sell it to whoever he wants, these types of businesses could start up out there and there’s not much control that could be on it once it’s zoned industrial.”
If a business wanted to purchase the land in the future, it could make a request for a zoning change at that time.
“I would just personally think just leave it as is and then if the opportunity comes up and they want to reintroduce it to us then we can look at it again then,” said council member Judy Hedges. “But right now I personally would just want to leave it as is.”
Fellow council members Janet Powers, Bill Gibson, Judy Aker, Michele Brewster and Don Gillespie agreed with that assessment and joined Hedges in voting against the zoning change. Council member Kent McClung was absent from the meeting.
Council also discussed the future of the Sheller Globe south building, which is where the street department is storing some of its equipment.
Several council members expressed concern over the safety of the building, which has mostly been vacant since the 1980s.
Council decided to tour the building sometime soon and see what needs to be done. Preliminary work would include roof repairs, wiring work and possibly tearing down part of the building.
In other business, council:
•Approved the flood plan that Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman introduced at council’s Nov. 6 meeting. It sets out procedures for the city’s response during high-water events.
•Heard an update from Geesaman on bringing a grocery store back to the area following the closure of the Marsh location in May. He told council members he is talking with three different stores, but the process is slow-moving.
•Learned that Portland is currently being audited by the Indiana State Board of Accounts for its wastewater treatment plant bonds, a park bond and a tax increment financing (TIF) district bond. Geesaman said the audit is going well so far and will be completed on Thursday.
•Heard that Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley will talk to council at its next meeting on Dec. 18 about the new tax abatement schedule. Council has looked at putting additional tax abatement options in place rather than just the five- and 10-year options it has used in the past.
•Approved payments of $1,318.55 to Jones & Henry Engineers for work on the wastewater treatment plant and $7,500 to Hinkle, Racster & Schemenaur.
•Learned that Indiana Department of Transportation has added “no turn on red” signs at Meridian and High streets. The city had requested INDOT review the same signs at Meridian and Walnut streets, but the department decided that because drivers have to pull up onto Meridian Street to turn, it would not be safe to allow them to turn on a red light. INDOT left the signs up at Walnut Street and placed new ones on High Street.
•Approved a 2018 fire contract for $13,871 with Greene Township.
•Heard an update on the former book bindery site on Wayne Street. Additional environmental testing was completed Nov. 29, and results should be available by the end of the year.
•Paid $997,429.84 in claims.
Portland City Council on Monday rejected a request to have the parcel rezoned.
Council members also briefly discussed the Sheller Globe south building’s future.
Richard Schafer had requested that his property of about 12 acres, located at 825 W. 100 North, Portland, be rezoned as an industrial property. It is currently an agricultural residential property.
Portland Plan Commission had approved his request, but the final decision was up to council.
In presenting the request to council, John Hemmelgarn, director of the Jay/Portland building and planning department, recommended members take caution when making the decision to rezone, as the city could lose control of what business builds there.
“The permitted uses out there, just to run down a few, food processing, general manufacturing, light manufacturing,” Hemmelgarn said. “If it is rezoned and (Schafer) doesn’t sell it to the city or he can sell it to whoever he wants, these types of businesses could start up out there and there’s not much control that could be on it once it’s zoned industrial.”
If a business wanted to purchase the land in the future, it could make a request for a zoning change at that time.
“I would just personally think just leave it as is and then if the opportunity comes up and they want to reintroduce it to us then we can look at it again then,” said council member Judy Hedges. “But right now I personally would just want to leave it as is.”
Fellow council members Janet Powers, Bill Gibson, Judy Aker, Michele Brewster and Don Gillespie agreed with that assessment and joined Hedges in voting against the zoning change. Council member Kent McClung was absent from the meeting.
Council also discussed the future of the Sheller Globe south building, which is where the street department is storing some of its equipment.
Several council members expressed concern over the safety of the building, which has mostly been vacant since the 1980s.
Council decided to tour the building sometime soon and see what needs to be done. Preliminary work would include roof repairs, wiring work and possibly tearing down part of the building.
In other business, council:
•Approved the flood plan that Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman introduced at council’s Nov. 6 meeting. It sets out procedures for the city’s response during high-water events.
•Heard an update from Geesaman on bringing a grocery store back to the area following the closure of the Marsh location in May. He told council members he is talking with three different stores, but the process is slow-moving.
•Learned that Portland is currently being audited by the Indiana State Board of Accounts for its wastewater treatment plant bonds, a park bond and a tax increment financing (TIF) district bond. Geesaman said the audit is going well so far and will be completed on Thursday.
•Heard that Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley will talk to council at its next meeting on Dec. 18 about the new tax abatement schedule. Council has looked at putting additional tax abatement options in place rather than just the five- and 10-year options it has used in the past.
•Approved payments of $1,318.55 to Jones & Henry Engineers for work on the wastewater treatment plant and $7,500 to Hinkle, Racster & Schemenaur.
•Learned that Indiana Department of Transportation has added “no turn on red” signs at Meridian and High streets. The city had requested INDOT review the same signs at Meridian and Walnut streets, but the department decided that because drivers have to pull up onto Meridian Street to turn, it would not be safe to allow them to turn on a red light. INDOT left the signs up at Walnut Street and placed new ones on High Street.
•Approved a 2018 fire contract for $13,871 with Greene Township.
•Heard an update on the former book bindery site on Wayne Street. Additional environmental testing was completed Nov. 29, and results should be available by the end of the year.
•Paid $997,429.84 in claims.
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