Panel lacks confidence in 2 Hobart projects

The Hobart Plan Commission tabled action on both a proposed warehouse/office development southwest of U.S. 30 and Clay Street and a site plan for work already done on his property by a Mississippi Street resident, with city officials saying they weren’t confident moving ahead with either action.

City planner Ross Pietrzak said he had just received revised plans regarding the warehouse/ office development proposed by Michael Kors a few days prior to the commission meeting and wasn’t sure if they met the city’s design guidelines.

“I’m not confident this plan can go ahead,” Pietrzak said.

He said the main issue was access to a drainage easement. Kors wants to build a maximum of 10 warehouse/office industrial buildings on 10.6 acres behind the Southlake Kia and Southlake Auto Mall dealerships.

The buildings would be built one at a time, as demand dictates, and each building would have one tenant.

Pietrzak said at a previous meeting that the buildings could house light manufacturing or business service.

The commission decided that resident Marco Tamayo’s engineer needs to work with city engineer Phil Gralik on his proposed site plan regarding fill work, a driveway, parking lot and ground cover at his Mississippi Street residence following questions and concerns raised by residents and city officials.

In the meantime, the public hearing regarding Tamayo’s site plan has been kept open for additional comments.

City officials required the site plan after it was brought to their attention that Tamayo had brought in more fill than allowed onto his property without obtaining a permit in addition to other matters, including possibly altering the back portion of his property, which is wetlands.

Gralik said he had some concern over how the presented site plan would affect neighboring properties.

He said the plan also needs drainage patterns.

One neighbor asked whether the work will be done by a qualified contractor, if Tamayo’s parking area could be limited to accommodate a reasonable number of vehicles and no large trucks and questioned who would maintain the plan.

The neighbor said he was also concerned that Tamayo brought in and buried fill that looked like road grindings.

A couple that lived to the south of Tamayo and still owns the house, but has since moved, said Tamayo has damaged their landscaping and they’re concerned his site plan will cause more damage.