The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission met the county’s new assistant planner today, Aug. 2. Andy Heltzel, left, the county’s new assistant planner is introduced by APC Director Matt Sandy, middle, while Larry Coplen, APC board member, listens. InkFreeNews photo by Phoebe Muthart.

By Phoebe Muthart
InkFreeNews

Pondering pod usage, violations and possibly a new ordinance were discussed at the regular meeting of the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission Wednesday, Aug. 2.

APC Director Matt Sandy said, “They are showing up everywhere. A lot of them,” Sandy shared, “are on commercial and industrial properties.”

Contractors often use pods, he said, for a variety of reasons.

Pods are defined as shipping containers, such as a standardized, pre-fabricated, reusable steel structure designed for transportation such as a rail car.

“The prices are so low at $3,000 per unit sometimes,” Sandy explained as to their popularity.

Under the current zoning ordinance, some are in violation. Sandy said, “We are currently enforcing them now.”

However, Sandy said his goal is to not have any violations.

“It’s about where they are placed and use is the key,” he said. “There’s factors that need to be addressed. It (new ordinance) is basically (needed) to clear up some current problems.”

Other counties do allow pods but with limits. For instance, Sandy said Wabash County has quite a detailed, four-page shipping container condition policy. Wabash has regulations for agriculture, industrial and commercial permitted uses.

However, two board members said those regulations would not go over well in this county. After reviewing Wabash’s official conditions, Mike Long and Mike Kissinger agreed.

“We want to be business friendly,” Long said.

APC board member Bob Conley suggested Sandy draft a new ordinance based on the board’s suggestions, and it will be reviewed at the next meeting.

Timothy Postima’s petition is for preliminary plat approval, a two-lot subdivision, for an agricultural II tract of ground. The property is located on the north side of CR 300 North, north of CR 175 East in Warsaw.

One remonstrator said he had some concerns. Mark Tenner, who lives on CR 300N, said he doesn’t want anything that will affect his property value.

“I don’t want to see a mobile home or a trailer on there,” he said.

Sandy said his office could not regulate the usage since it is zoned agricultural II. Mobile homes are allowed, he said.

Postima’s request was eventually approved.

The board gave a favorable recommendation to rezone Matthew and Lindsey Dunithan’s property from a residential district to an agricultural district. The property is located on the south side of CR 900 North, east of CR 550 East in Syracuse. There are four lots rezoned residential already. Only two parcels need to be rezoned ag.

The couple has a home-based business, Denny’s Pump Service, in order to fix fire truck pumps on occasion.

Neighbors said they don’t have a problem with the rezoning nor do two fire chiefs, Mickey Scott and Jeremy Likens. The case was approved.

Marcia Borkholder’s petition is to rezone five acres from an agricultural district to an agricultural II district. The property is located on the east side of CR 150 East, 200 feet southeast of CR 350 North in Warsaw. Her son wants to buy three acres and she wants two acres to live close to him. The case was approved.

Both rezonings go before the county commissioners at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15.

Sandy introduced Andy Heltzel, the county’s new assistant planner. He is an Akron resident and Tippecanoe Valley High School 2019 graduate. He is from Fulton County.

The next meeting is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6.