Gary council rezones site for truck repair facility, despite objections

The Gary Common Council gave its approval Tuesday to the rezoning of a residential area to permit construction of a truck repair facility, despite the objections of some city planning officials who questioned whether such a business would fit into the surrounding community.

Council members voted 8-0, with Councilwoman Carolyn Rogers, D-4th, abstaining, to support the rezoning of property located from 2859 and 2853 Dallas St. to 2800 and 2740 Calhoun St.

The land is surrounded by residential development, and itself was zoned R-2 Single-Family Residential. But with the council’s vote, the site is classified M-1 Limited Manufacturing.

The change will allow for developers to move forward with plans for a truck repair business, although project engineer Gary Radtke said there also is some speculation that an auto repair shop with space for longterm parking of cars could be built at the site.

Council members voted in support of the project, even though mayoral chief of staff Dayna Bennett informed them that Gary Deputy Planning Director Sarah Kobetis had her concerns.

Kobetis said her professional opinion was that a vehicle repair facility of any sort is too different from the homes that surround the site and could cause problems for the people living in the area.

“They’re just not compatible,” she said.

Council President Ronald Brewer cited the fact that the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals had previously voted to recommend the project, and city Zoning Administrator Mary Hurt had publicly supported the project, as did Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson at a council Planning committee hearing this month.

Brewer questioned whether Kobetis’ opinion ought to even be considered by council members, with Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd, agreeing.

“I don’t like us creating the impression that we’re making up the rules as we go along,” Brewer said. “I don’t want to set a prece- dent of people coming up with last-minute objections like this.

Radtke, of LaPorte-based G&R Contracting, said the project as tentatively designed now would have a separation between the facility of about 8,000 square feet and surrounding housing with a 4-foot-high berm, with a combination of fences and trees atop the berm.

Radtke said the end result might be that many people living in the area won’t be fully aware of what is being built near their homes. “It could wind up making it a lot nicer looking environment around their properties,” he said.

Radtke said the plans call for the construction to cost about $1 million, with work beginning in the spring.

Radtke cited what he says is one potential benefit of the project, aside from the 15 to 20 jobs that could be created within Gary.

“We are not asking the city for a dime (to pay for costs of ) building this project,” he said.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.