By DAVE SCHULTZ
Two development plans and one division of a minor subdivision were approved by the Wells County Area Plan Commission. The approval of one of the development plans corrected a violation on Bond Street on Bluffton’s west side.
Salamonie Steel Inc. put in a parking lot at 601 S. Bond St. without going through the city’s approval process. The parking lot had been built and was in use before the violation was noted.
The nine APC members present Thursday night — Harry Baumgartner Jr., Tyson Brooks, Jarod Hahn, Bill Horan, Josh Hunt, Jerome Markley, Tim Rohr, John Schuhmacher, and Melissa Woodworth (Corey Elzey and Becky Stone-Smith were absent) — approved the parking lot’s development plan and therefore removed the violation. The only requirement added to the approval was that the entrance to the parking lot be constructed to match the existing condition of Bond Street.
The other development plan was somewhat more complicated, as G&D Tonner Inc. came before the APC to receive approval of a 7,200-square-feet combination shop and kennel, and part-time residence, on the southwest corner of Wells County Roads 200N and 800E near Craigville.
Michael Lautzenheiser Jr., executive director of the APC, opened the discussion about the request by saying he thought it would have to be continued because of some unresolved issues — finding a final site for the buildings, drainage, and plans for residential and commercial septic systems.
The commercial waste from the kennel, which is expected to host as many as 18 dogs (18 exercise runs are included in the plans), will probably be taken to a commercial hog operation nearby and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management had given its approval to that plan.
The developers indicated that the siting of the building had been resolved, and the APC members were amenable to approving the development plan on the condition that the well location, residential septic location, and the in-ground tank location for commercial waste be approved prior to construction. The measure was approved 8-1, with Brooks casting the lone “no” vote.”
The third item of new business before the APC Thursday night was a request for a two-acre division of a minor subdivision. The request, if approved, would allow for the construction of a new building in the northeast corner of the property on 900N between 675E and 750E.
The request was made by CKB Farms.
There was a problem with the request, however, in that the original survey did not include a neighbor’s geothermal easement and a county tile easement. Those were approved, allowing for the fact that the easements knocked down the size of the parcel under two acres, which would normally be required for a decision from a minor subdivision. The APC members voted 9-0 to approve the request.
The APC members also looked over the proposed Vision 2035 document, a revision of the county’s comprehensive plan. They agreed to take a month to look over the plan, discuss it at their May meeting, and hold a public hearing on it in June.
They also discussed a solar farm survey, conducted only on Facebook, the results of which indicated significant displeasure with large solar farms while allowing for smaller solar power facilities for home and business use. The survey will be reopened for further input.
daves@news-banner.com
