Mobile home exception approved

Pennville’s mobile home park is growing.

Jay County Commissioners agreed Tuesday to a zoning request from Darrick Plummer of Pennville Partners to allow three parcels to join the new park.

Plummer is planning to convert property west of South Street, just south of Max Drive, and the lot south of Daisy Lane — it's located next to the existing Freedom Village Mobile Home Park — into more mobile home park space. Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals OK’d Plummer’s request in October to combine two parcels — about 12 acres — and create the mobile home park. 

One of the new parcels added to the project is located on the west side of county road 300 North, north of Daily Lane, and the other two new parcels are located on the north side of Max Drive. Both parcels were zoned as single family residential and required a special exception use approval through Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals and Jay County Plan Commission in the last few months before coming to commissioners.

Hopes are for Plummer to put in 50 lots for homes over the next four to five years.

Also Tuesday, community coordinator Darlesia Lee noted four homes have been completed through the county’s owner-occupied rehabilitation program.

Plans are in the works to move forward with the third and final round of projects in the program. Answering a question from Horn, Lee noted work with the owner-occupied rehabilitation program must be completed by August.

Relatedly, Lee talked about efforts to install a mural on the south side of the Community Resource Center in Portland. 

She referenced an ongoing crowdfunding campaign to raise $10,000 for the project through East Central Indiana Regional Planning District. (It is currently at just over 10% of that goal. Those interested in contributing can do so at givebutter.com/jaycountymural.)

In other business, commissioners Chad Aker, Doug Horn and Duane Monroe:

•Heard updates from Jay County Country Living director Stacey Johnson, who noted ongoing renovations to the downstairs men’s restroom. There are currently 19 residents at the facility. Johnson talked about coordinating with The Journey Home to bring more veterans to the living center.

•Agreed to host a hearing July 14 to consider combining the Iris Scholer and Salamonie River watersheds located in the area of county roads 200 South and 400 East.

•Approved the following: a $24,000 matching request from LifeStream Services for purchasing a mini van; paying $36,205 for a 2025 Chevy Tahoe for Jay County Coroner’s Office; spending $5,388.32 on 19 sound panels and $2,927.78 on two speakers to enhance sound quality for recording meetings in Jay County Courthouse auditorium.

•Heard Jay Emergency Medical Service’s financial breakdown for April from Jay Emergency Medical Service director Gary Barnett. The department had $148,766.07 in expenses and $84,671.55 in income. Answering a question from Barnett on whether to continue providing the breakdowns monthly, Aker noted he would be interested in also seeing statistics each month on runs, transfers and other data the department takes each month.

•Appointed Aker as Americans with Disabilities Act Title VI compliance coordinator.

•Paid $5.68 million in claims, as well as a few additional claims, including $67,000 for Jay County Highway Department’s annual lease payment for its MowerMax equipment.