The proposed future site of Wawasee Community School Corporation’s administration building sits on the west side of Sycamore Street. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)

KOSCIUSKO — During the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission meeting held Thursday, March, 4, Wawasee Community School Corporation petitioned to rezone a tract of ground for the future site of the administration building.

The tract of land is on the west side of Sycamore Street, behind Casey’s General Store. The land is currently zoned as an Industrial II District but the petition is to rezone the land to a Public Use District.

Andy Beerman, of Commonwealth Engineers, attended the meeting and represented the school corporation.

“The primary use of the structure will be to move the administration offices to this building, which on a normal basis, means about 15 staff members, explained Beerman. “We aren’t making any changes except for adding parking on the north side.”

The APC approved the rezoning request unanimously with no further questions. This recommendation will be presented to the Syracuse Town Board at the next meeting held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17.

The board also addressed the continued rezoning request made by Scott Anderson at last month’s meeting.

The request is to rezone property on the south side of CR 700N, west of CR 300E in Syracuse from an agricultural district to an agricultural II district. The property had already used it’s three allowed sell-offs.

The only way a property can achieve more than three sell-offs is through rezoning. Anderson wishes to further divide his land with the intention to sell-off the plot without his house so that another home could be built there.

At last month’s meeting, several neighbors were there to remonstrate against the request. But at this month’s meeting, all objections were withdrawn by neighbors.

Anderson explained that he sat down with each neighbor and ensured them that this would be the last division of the property and that only one residence was to be constructed on the new plat. This was added as a condition to the rezoning request. He also assured his neighbors and the board members that he had no intention of moving his business into the future building.

With the previous objections withdrawn, the APC voted to approve this rezoning request with the stated conditions.

In other news, the APC approved:

• A final plat request made by FFS Lift for a lot located in White Manor Estates in Warsaw. This property received preliminary plat approval at last month’s meeting. The planning department contacted the property owner to clarify that no business operations could take place on the property without the proper permissions.
• A final plat request made by Paul Reith regarding lot 49 in Deeds Creek Manor, Warsaw. The replat involves the relocation of a drainage easement to allow a structure to fit on the lot easier.
• A preliminary plat request made by David Caswell for an Agricultural II subdivision on a 20-acre tract of land south of CR 200S in Harrison Township. A condition of the approval is that the lots are not to be further divided.
• A preliminary plat request made by Brian Erne for an Agricultural II subdivision for a property located on the south side of CR 450N, Leesburg.
• An amendment to the rules and procedures of the Planning Department. The amendment allows for the department to request a moving permit when building permits are issued for mobile homes that are to be transported.
• Allowing the department to send a letter to local legislators on behalf of the APC objecting to Senate Bill 100. Assistant Planner Matt Sandy explained that the bill mandates counties to allow non-conforming structures to be rebuilt without any mandate if the property is destroyed in a natural disaster. These structures could present safety hazards and liability issues and the county would like to continue addressing them via the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals.