A potential small residential development just outside the town limits of Mentone is one step closer to being rezoned. During the regular monthly meeting of the Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission April 1 in Warsaw, a rezoning petition for Mentone Partners was recommended for approval by the APC.

Andrew Rossell, representing Mentone Partners, said his client wants to rezone the northern portion of a commercial parcel from commercial to residential, approximately 2 acres, and have it platted into three residential lots. The property is located on the south side of Viking Drive, just north of SR 25 in Harrison Township and just outside the town limits of Mentone. The parcel is part of the Tippecanoe Estates subdivision.

The southern portion, or the part fronting SR 25, would remain zoned commercial.

Jason McKinney owns property to the east and said he has a problem with flooding periodically due to low lying ground. He wanted to know what will be done with some of the water runoff. He noted he has asked both the county and state to check to see if there is a culvert nearby and was told someone would be sent to check on it, but he never heard anything more about it.

Dan Richard, area planning director, said he was told the town of Mentone would provide water and sewer service but the county would be required to approve a drainage plan submitted in a plat. Chuck Haffner of the APC told McKinney it appears his best hope to get anything done about the drainage problem would be for the parcel to be developed because it would require a drainage plan in the plat.

County commissioners will consider the petition at their April 21 meeting.

The only other item on the agenda was a petition from Windows of Heaven Ministries to rezone property from commercial to residential on the east side of South First Street, north of Elm Street, in Pierceton. Andrew Wyckoff and his wife, Connie, pastor a church that meets in an old house originally built in 1865. They need to sell the building and it was recommended by a realtor to have the property rezoned to residential.

Connie Wyckoff noted a family with four children is interested in buying the property but wants it zoned residential first. But there are problems with the foundation that need to be fixed, she said.

After discussion it was determined the realtor should call Richard first before any decision is made on the zoning. Richard noted another option for the Wyckoffs is to petition the county board of zoning appeals for the property to remain commercial, but to allow someone to live in the house. The APC voted to table the petition for up to two months. The recommendation will be considered by the Pierceton Town Board at its April 13 meeting.

There were two letters of remonstrance mailed to the planning commission and both were against having the property rezoned because the surrounding area is mostly zoned commercial.