Council initially OKs plan
Concerns still exist, but about 1,180 jobs could be brought to Hobart
Plans for a controversial redevelopment plan with light industrial business on 61st Avenue in Hobart inched forward Wednesday night, but it’s not yet close to a done deal.
The Hobart City Council narrowly approved on first reading LaGrange, Illinois-based Becknell Industrial’s plan to build warehousing units at 61st and Colorado Street. The vote was 4-3, with Councilmen Mark Kopil, D-1, Lino Maggio, D-3, and Josh Huddlestun, D-2, casting the dissenting votes.
In presenting numbers to the skeptical “No Rezone” crowd, Becknell representative Paul Thurston said that, currently, the 156 acres that Becknell wants generates $6,982 for the city. If the project goes forward, however, it could bring in $3,723,624 to the city, Thurston said.
Additionally, the project could bring 1,180 jobs to the area, he said.
Prior to Thurston’s remarks Kopil reiterated that with the infrastructure funding still up in the air, committing to the project isn’t a good idea. Not only that, but the city has yet to learn how the big-box store property tax appeals are going to fall.
“I don’t see how robbing Peter to pay Paul is a good idea,” Kopil said.
Councilman Chris Wells, R-5, though he voted to pass the plan, said he remains unsure that the city should pull the trigger on it.
“My concern is that in order to build there we would be putting the cart before the horse,” Wells said. “We don’t have the money (for the infrastructure).
“But I have a hard time voting ‘No’ tonight without studying the numbers, and it gives us two more weeks to do that.
“The people on my side of town can’t afford another $20, $40 (in fees or taxes).”
Huddlestun pointed out that the council has always taken Mayor Brian Snedecor’s thoughts at face
value in making these decisions; Snedecor in recent weeks has expressed reservations about it.
“It’s kind of hard for me to vote against him,” Huddlestun said.
Thurston said after the vote that he understands the “Yes” vote is not a done deal and how hotly contested the plan remains. Still, he believes it’ll be a good investment for Hobart.
“I know there are a lot of communities who would like to have something like this,” he said.
Resident Viola Love asked the council to instead give the young people of Hobart something to “lift them up.”
“Right now, I have five generations living in Hobart — the youngest is 8 months old,” she said. “Think of the families and what we are doing for them.
‘We don’t have to sell to a company who’s just out to make money. This is tearing our community apart, and when we have division we can’t do anything.”
The Plan Commission’s favorable recommendation included two stipulations: that there be no building or pavement on the first 250 feet of the property and no building on the next 75 feet, leaving a 325-foot buffer. Also, the type of uses for the property would be restricted.
A May 26 work session further streamlined what can and cannot go there.
Residents cite traffic and safety concerns, the possibility of their homes declining in value, air and light pollution coming from the warehouses and the trucks going to and from it, a loss of nature and the animals that now inhabit the property, and a fear this could cause a domino effect, with more warehouses coming into the residential area in the future.
Several have asked that the property remain residential, with more housing developments brought in instead. But city officials and commission members say the city’s futureuse plan has designated the 156 acres on 61st Avenue to be light industrial, with some offices as a buffer, for several years.
City engineer Phil Gralik said previously that the city has approached Indiana Department of Transportation about an interchange at 69th Avenue, which would take much of the truck traffic off 61st Avenue. He said the city also had approached developers about the property in the past, but they weren’t interested because it wasn’t in the Hobart school district.
The council will vote again for the plan at its June 15 meeting.
In other news, the Board of Works moved to put Hobart Police Officer D’Andre Lamar Spears, 33, of Merrillville, on unpaid leave after he was charged last week for defrauding two local Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, according to Hobart Chief of Police Garrett Ciszewski.