Syracuse Redevelopment Commission met Thursday afternoon to discuss potential covenants for the technology park. Commission members ended the meeting in executive session to hear a proposal from a potential buyer.

Syracuse Town Manager Henry DeJulia suggested a list of items that need to be considered for a potential covenant when the town no longer owns the property. Town Attorney Vern Landis is also reviewing the list.

Some of the items on the list include: maintenance and enforcement, site and building maintenance, landscape and grounds maintenance, enforcement and remedies, right to make rules and regulations and more.

Syracuse Town Councilman Larry Siegel pointed out the roads in the park, located at SR 13 and US 6, will be maintained by Elkhart County since the park is located in Elkhart County. As for sign maintenance Siegel said business owners would probably develop their own covenants for the park’s common spaces and lighting.

Another item future business owners will need to address is maintenance of the batteries for the solar powered light at the entrance of the sign. DeJulia asked Ernie Rogers, local realtor, if commercial and industrial parks have annual fees similar to what home owner associations do. Rogers said he thought so and would check his files for an example.

DeJulia asked if the commission wanted the covenants to be relatively simple or very thorough. Siegel suggested waiting to see what Landis came up with.

Syracuse Town Council President Paul Stoelting pointed out other technology parks probably have similar covenants so the commission “doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel.” He also suggested some type of document outlining the covenants should be filed with the Elkhart County Courthouse at the point of sale.

DeJulia provided commission members with a copy of an article in Business Week where Siegel was quoted. DeJulia told the commission the industrial park received a lot of good publicity from the lieutenant governor’s visit last week to designate it a shovel ready site.

He also told the commission bills for about $1,500 will be coming in for the tent, tables and chairs, as well as a video of the press conference which will go on the town’s and industrial park’s website.

Siegel suggested joining the Elkhart County Economic Development Corporation, saying it would be good synergy to be part of both EDC and Kosciusko County Redevelopment Corporation.