Pictured, from left, are attorney Steve Snyder, Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission Director Matt Sandy and APC member Larry Coplen. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Adkins.

By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission approved the rezoning of over 20 acres southwest of Milford to an agricultural II district during a Wednesday, March 5, meeting.

Attorney Steve Snyder attended the meeting on behalf of Michael Chupp, who petitioned to rezone 20.8 acres from an agricultural to an agricultural II district. The property is located on the west side of CR 500W, north of CR 1100N, Milford.

Snyder said Chupp and his wife are wanting to build a new house and need to sell some of their current acreage to make that possible. The Chupps are seeking to sell the acreage in question to nearby property owners, with Snyder noting one neighbor needed more pastureland and the other was already farming in the area.

“A portion of this tract, retaining somewhere between seven to 10 acres … this would result in a three-lot plat, which would allow him to sell one parcel to a neighbor to the north and another to a neighbor to the south,” said Snyder. “The sale would be conditioned upon the purchasers agreeing to combine those parcels with their existing parcels.”

The APC approved sending a rezoning recommendation to the Kosciusko County Commissioners, with the stipulation parcels be sold to the property’s adjacent landowners.

A request from Linda Scott to rezone 3.77 acres from an agricultural to an agricultural II district was also approved for recommendation to the commissioners. The property is located on the north side of CR 500S, north of CR 550W, south of Palestine Lake. Scott’s daughter, Keri, attended the meeting. She said she was looking at building a house or mother-in-law suite next to her parents’ property to be closer to them since they’re elderly.

The APC also approved sending a favorable recommendation to the Syracuse Town Council for the rezoning of ground from an agricultural to a residential district. The property is located on the north side of Pickwick Drive, east of Harkless Drive, in Syracuse, and is owned by Glennell Webb.

Snyder said the property is a marshland/wetland area. He estimated there was roughly 40,000 square feet of usable land and four residential lots are anticipated to be placed there. APC members noted a letter of remonstrance was received from a nearby property owner, who expressed concerns with property values and traffic increases.

Prior to the meeting, APC members reflected on the passing of Kosciusko County Council and APC member Mike Long through a moment of silence and prayer.

“Mike was a long-term member of our planning commission and County Council,” said APC Director Matt Sandy. “He was a great member, and his presence will definitely be missed. He brought a lot of good knowledge on many levels to this commission.”

The APC also:

• Continued a preliminary plat approval for Stacey Wittkamper to the APC’s May meeting, as some feasibility aspects still need completed. The property is located on the east side of EMS C24 Lane, south of EMS C24C Lane, near Big Chapman Lake. Snyder said notices will be reissued to neighboring properties.
• Approved sending a petition to rezone four aces from an agricultural to commercial district to the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals. This is for property on CR 800N, north of CR 750N, north of Etna Green. Both Sandy and Snyder recommended sending the matter to the BZA. This rezoning would be for EXC, an excavation business.
• Approved a preliminary plat for Brad Showalter for property on the west side of CR 550E, north of CR 800N, southeast of Dewart Lake.
• Approved a preliminary plat for a residential development on the north side of Old Road 30, east of CR 300E, Warsaw.
• Approved a preliminary plat for Evan Kreps for an agricultural II development on a 7.4-acre tract of ground. The property is located on the east side of CR 450E, south of CR 1100N, south of Syracuse.
• Denied a rezoning request for six acres in an agricultural district southeast of Winona Lake. A previous InkFreeNews article provides more details on that topic.

The Kosciusko County APC’s next meeting is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.