WAKARUSA, Ind. — The Wakarusa Town Council rezoned the old Wakarusa Farm Center building on the southeast corner of Ind. 19 and C.R. 40/East Waterford Street Tuesday night.
Mark Kanney presented the petition for the Elkhart County Planning Department.
Kanney had presented the petition to the council at September’s meeting. The petition had been tabled so Scott Tuttle, who was purchasing the property, could enter into a covenant before the property was rezoned. That covenant was presented to the council Tuesday night.
Tuttle will install and maintain a fence and visual buffer that is 5-feet high along the southern boundary of his property. The southernmost 50 feet of real estate will only be used for storage of non-motorized product (manufacture on site) units. These covenants will stay with the property and any new owners would have to abide by them.
Previous owners promised the neighbors that they would keep the southern boundary up when the property was purchased. The owner did not do what he had promised, according to residents. When Tuttle asked the Elkhart County Planning Committee to rezone his property the neighbors asked for help in having the property maintained.
Tuttle told the council in September that he had already worked on the existing fence and had removed the worst sections. He had also mowed a portion of the property that had been left go. Tuttle said he does not have a problem making a commitment to the covenant.
The council approved the commitments and rezoned the property from business B-3 to manufacturing M-1.
Tuttle’s property was involved in a fire late last week. He had just moved his business into the building and lost everything. He is in the process of working with his insurance company and the insurance companies of the businesses that were working on his building.
Retention basins
Schrock Excavating was the low bidder for the improvements to the retention basins on Nelson’s Parkway.
Town Manager Tom Roeder said he talked with the developer and asked if he would like to participate in correcting the way the basins were built. Water run-off does not enter the retention basins like it should.
Roeder said the developer was “not interested in paying for all or any” of the project.
Attorney Loren Sloat said the council does not have legal recourse due to the length of time since the retention basins were first put in. If the council would have approached the developer right after the basins were finished, it could have required the developer to help with the cost of correcting them. Sloat said the council could spend more money in legal action instead of just covering the costs.
Schrock Excavating will be paid $6,700 for improvements to the retention basins.
Leaf pickup will take place through Nov. 26. People living on north/south streets will have their leaves picked up Mondays and Wednesdays. Leaves on east/west streets will be picked up Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be no scheduled pickups on Fridays.
Residents should rake their leaves to the nearest curbs. Leaves should not be raked into the street.
In other business, council members heard that large trash pickup will take place Oct. 18.
Due to the election Nov. 4, the next regular meeting of the Wakarusa Town Council will take place Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. A work session will take place Nov. 10 at 5:15 p.m.
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
