Land near business park may be rezoned

The Hobart City Council has taken a step toward rezoning about 16.5 acres at 69th Avenue and Mississippi Street to manufacturing as requested by the developers of the successful NorthWind Crossings business park.

Councilman David Vinzant, D-4th, said Jan. 2 that Becknell Investors LLC wants to purchase the property, now zoned residential, and add it to an adjacent 30 acres it owns.

“They’re buying the property on a speculation basis,” Vinzant said, adding there is no development proposal for the property yet.

The city has an upcoming meeting with Becknell representative Paul Thurston to discuss the possibility of the Illinois firm helping to pay to widen 69th Avenue.

“They’re anxious to move forward on the purchase. One, we need help to pay for the road widening, but even bigger than that is, we need them to deed over the frontage area so the road can be widened,” Vinzant said.

Becknell is anxious for the rezone because the clock is ticking on a deadline for the purchase, he said. The council approved the rezone on first reading, but still must approve it on second reading for it to be final.

In other matters, newly returned Councilman Matt Claussen, D-atlarge, was elected president protempore of the council for 2019 and was named as a voting council member to the redevelopment commission. He previously was a mayoral appointment to the commission. Shawn Kelly was retained for another year on the commission.

Councilman Lino Maggio, D-3rd, was named the council’s finance chairman and the council representative to the contractor’s licensing board. Vinzant will remain as the council’s representative on the plan commission and Josh Huddlestun, D-2nd, will represent the council on the park board and economic development commission.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.