As it was in February, a petition by Gustavo Munoz to rezone an old Pierceton restaurant from commercial to residential was tabled by the Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission during its regular monthly meeting March 5 in Warsaw.

Munoz, who was not present at today’s meeting, appeared before the APC last month asking for the property where the old Lamplight restaurant operated on U.S. 30, east of Miller Street in Pierceton, to be rezoned.

Dan Richard, area planning director, noted it was discovered the property was granted a single access off U.S. 30 by the Indiana Department of Transportation years ago. Since that access was granted, it eventually became shared. Richard added that Miller Street, questioned during the Feb. 12 meeting on whether it is a road or railroad right of way, is a town maintained road. But any improvements to upgrade it to a dual lane road (it is only single lane now) would be paid for by the town.

Munoz decided to petition the county board of zoning appeals for an exception to allow a residence on property zoned commercial. It will be considered at the March 11 BZA meeting in Warsaw.

Two remonstrators living on Miller Street said there is not enough room to widen the street to two lanes as it would take out driveways and yards of residents. It was also noted a body shop has cars sitting outside blocking the road, making it harder to access, and a school bus has difficulty navigating the road to pick up a child.

The APC voted 6-2 to continue the petition with Kevin McSherry and Manny Espinoza voting against tabling it.

In other business, the APC voted unanimously to recommend a road vacation in the Lake Wawasee area. Wood Street, originally platted as such but no longer in the county road system, runs off Waco Drive near the south end of the lake. Steve Snyder, attorney representing the Hipskind family which is petitioning for the vacation, said Wood Street was never opened because Waco Drive, which was originally SR 13, became the access point of the plat.

Snyder said his client wants the portion of the road vacated that is adjacent to their properties. “It (Wood Street) has never been used and nearby properties have access onto Waco Drive,” he said. There were no remonstrators for or against the petition and it will be considered by the county commissioners March 25.

Other agenda items included:

• Approval was given for a final plat for Tim Lowman to have a 2-lot residential subdivision on Oakwood Drive in Wayne Township. It will be known as Lowman’s addition.

• The Pleasant Pines two lot residential subdivision of Tim Hine was given final plat approval. It is on the south end of North Webster near the elementary school.

• The Barnstable two lot residential subdivision on CR 350 North in Plain Township was given final plat approval.

• The preliminary plat for Edward and Deborah Boyts for the Boyts Barn 1-lot residential subdivision was given approval. The county highway department needs to determine the safest road access point.

After the main agenda items were considered, the APC heard a brief presentation from Leesburg farmer Bob Bishop who was elected president of Kosciusko County Farm Bureau in September. Bishop said Farm Bureau represents more than 4,000 members in the county and he wanted the planning commission to be aware it is considered “the voice of agriculture” in the county.

Bishop was asked by APC chairman Lee Harman if the county has any problems with the erosion of topsoil. Bishop said likely some erosion is occurring, but the county doesn’t really have much topsoil. He added more no-till farming operations are occurring than in the past.