WARSAW — After much input, both for and against, the Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission recommended approval for a rezoning petition submitted by AR Engineering. The petition involves rezoning a tract of ground on Black Point Road, west of East Wawasee Drive in Turkey Creek Township and near Enchanted Hills from residential to commercial.

The petition was part of the agenda of the regular monthly meeting of the APC Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 4, in Warsaw.

Andrew Rossell, representing AR Engineering, noted the intent is to build a “general retail store” on the site. He did not specifically state it would be a Dollar General store, but many who spoke during the meeting assumed it will be and Rossell’s company has developed a few Dollar General stores in the area including North Webster and Leesburg.

Rossell noted there is a need for such a store in the area and it was the only property near other commercially zoned properties available. “Everyone else was unwilling to sell their commercial properties,” he said.

Steve Snyder, who normally appears before the planning commission as an attorney representing petitioners, instead spoke as a remonstrator against the petition. He lives on Black Point Road and said the area is mostly residential and most of the commercial properties are personal storage buildings with apartments above them. There is a marina but it is only used for renting out pier spaces. “The area is not of a commercial character,” he said.

He also said it is a high traffic area and even more so in the summer, the property has drainage problems and it is too small of a lot for commercial use. He said a better location would be less than a mile away at the corner of CR 1250N and East Wawasee Drive where a gas station and other businesses were once located.

Cathy Lemberg owns the property in question and said she always hears from people who say that side of the lake is too far away from town for people who need to get items from a store. “I don’t see why commercial and residential can’t coexist,” she said, speaking in favor of the petition.

Tony Siri also spoke in favor of the petition and said traffic would not really be an issue because it would be people living in the area who are already driving on the roads. And they already know they need to slow down for the nearby curves.

Chuck Haffner of the APC said he spoke to several residents of Enchanted Hills in favor of a store because it would be closer and would also create more jobs. The county commissioners will now consider the petition at their Tuesday, Oct. 17, meeting.

In other business, the APC recommended approval for Roger Rapsavage to rezone a tract of ground less than 1 acre in size from residential to commercial on the south side of Armstrong Road, northwest of First Street in Oswego in Plain Township. There is an existing commercial tract of ground next to the property where gas pumps were once located, but the pumps have since been removed.

Rapsavage said he wants all of the property to be zoned commercial and has no plans to further develop the property or reinstall gas pumps. Dan Richard, area planning director, noted any expansion plans would require health department approval due to a septic system being used.

County commissioners will consider the petition Oct. 17.

The APC also approved a preliminary plat for George Buckingham for a three-lot residential subdivision on Forrest Glenn Road, west of Teeple Avenue in Plain Township. Additional acreage was added to the south of the property after it was rezoned to allow more room for the septic system.