Condo plans earn initial OK

A planned condominium development west of Portland has received preliminary approval.

Portland Plan Commission voted 7-0 Thursday to approve CB Development’s initial plans for a 35-unit condominium development at the southwest corner of Indiana 67 and county road 75 South.

The process now moves to Portland City Council, which will decide on the company’s request to rezone as planned development residential from the current agricultural/residential.

Attorney Josh Atkinson, representing the company owned by Glen Coblentz of Geneva, again presented its plan for the development. It calls for a U-shaped road coming off of county road 75 South, with 35 single-family homes. They would be single-story structures with three bedrooms and two bathrooms totaling about 1,500 square feet, along with an attached garage. There would be a pond in the center of the property for drainage and retention.

All of the “common ground” in the development would be owned jointly by the members of the condominium association, which would handle mowing, snow removal, trash pick-up, etc. The homes would be hooked up to Portland’s sewer system and would each have an individual well for water.

Plans call for starting with six to eight homes at the northwest side of the property, which was once the Beacon Heights Drive-In, and continuing to build four to eight homes at a time as they sell.

Several residents who live near the location of the proposed condominium development expressed concerns about the project. They questioned whether the new wells would impact water levels in the area and the lift station is able to handle the additional sewer service. They also said they’d prefer the first homes be built on the side of the property further away from Sheffer Acres, which sits directly to the west of the proposed development, asked if a fence or other barrier would be used to separate the developments and said they are worried about the additional traffic in the area. (The property sits on the opposite side of county road 75 south from Jay County Junior-Senior High School.)

“I would hope the (plan commission) would look into the water and the sewage part of this much more deeply than what I’ve heard here said thus far,” said Larry Brandenburg, a resident of Sheffer Acres.

Fellow Sheffer Acres resident Ted Habegger said he’d like assurances that if the sewer system is not sufficient to handle the extra customers, he and his neighbors would not be charged for any required upgrades.

Responding to the questions, Atkinson said its his understanding that there is no issue with water supply in the area and the additional wells are not expected to change that situation. (Jay/Portland Building and Planning department director John Hemmelgarn noted that city water is not an option in the area as it would require construction of a new water tower, which would be cost prohibitive.

City attorney Bill Hinkle, addressing another question, said annexation is not likely for the same reason.) Atkinson added Portland wastewater superintendent Brad Clayton has said the system can handle the additional users. Coblentz noted plans call for a tree line between the condominium development and Sheffer Acres.

Plan commission members Lee Newman, Janet Powers, Steve McIntosh, Don Gillespie, Kyle Cook, Bart Darby and Ron Laux, absent Kent McClung and Randy Geesaman, asked a few questions before voting unanimously to approve the preliminary plans.

Atkinson and Coblentz initially presented the plans for the development to Portland Plan Commission in June. Since then, Atkinson has met with Jay County Sheriff’s Office, Portland Fire Department, Jay County Health Department, Portland Wastewater Department, Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District and Jay County Drainage Board and received initial approval from all of them. Portland Board of Works unanimously approved the initial plans at its July meeting.

If city council approves the rezoning, CB Development would then return to plan commission with final development plans for its approval.