The black arrow points to where the duplexes will be built at the intersection of Pope and Segal streets in Warsaw. Map provided.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — After getting a variance approved from the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals two weeks prior, petitioner Rast Development LLC got approval Monday night, March 11, from the Warsaw Plan Commission on a preliminary plat for the same property at the intersection of Pope and Segal streets.

The owner of the 0.42 acres is Frauhiger Realty Co. LLC.

City Planner Justin Taylor told the plan commission that they were just considering a preliminary plat at this time as no final plat has been submitted yet for approval.

The preliminary plat of the Frauhiger’s South Park addition is a replat of the Beyer South Park addition, he said.

“Three of the four proposed lots are smaller than the permitted lot size for this zoning district. However, the petitioner received a variance to allow for non-conforming lot sizes at this location,” Taylor said.

During the Feb. 26 Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, the BZA approved Rast Development LLC’s petition for a variance from development standards to allow a non-conforming lot size in a Residential-2 zoning district along Pope Street. The proposed lot sizes are 60 feet wide with an area of about 6,000 square feet. The requirement is 66 feet wide and 8,500 square feet by municipal code.

Taylor said Monday, “Allowing the reconfiguration of these four existing lots will help create more developable parcels by orienting site access from Segal Street rather than Pope. The sanitary sewer easement will be placed along the east side of these parcels to provide access for this development.”

The recommendation from the Warsaw Planning Department was that the Plan Commission approve the preliminary plat for the Frauhiger’s South Park addition, he concluded.

Councilwoman and Plan Commission Vice President Diane Quance asked if the city would be responsible for relocating the sanitary sewer line.

“That’s a discussion we’re having right now,” Taylor responded. “There are times where the city participates in these things, but that’s more of an economic development and the decision has to be made by other departments as well. So, I don’t believe anything’s been completely ironed out. They are looking at different options right now. If the city took it on, we’d want to make sure we’re setting it up to provide sanitary sewer for additional units throughout that neighborhood because there is a need for sewer in that area. But with the elevation, we’d have to really look at what the best route is.”

There were no remonstrators to the preliminary plat petition.

Jeff Carroll, with Frauhiger Development, said, “We’re trying to do low-income housing in a nice way. These are beautiful units.”
Randy Miller, builder, said they will be two-story duplexes with a front porch all the way across the front.

“They do look kind of cool,” he said. “… Each side of the duplex has 1,040 square feet. Two bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths. The half baths are going on the main floor, and the full bath and two bedrooms upstairs.”

There will be off-street parking with each lot having two driveways.

Juergen Voss, councilman and commission member, asked if the duplexes are going to be rentals or be sold individually.
To start off with, Miller said they will be rentals. However, five to six years down the road, they could potentially be sold as individual units.

Asked by Voss what the monthly rent will be, Carroll said under $1,385, but they may do a rent-to-own option “right off the bat.”

He said it’s affordable housing for people that “really, really need those kind of units.” He said the duplexes will be really nice.

Commission member Renea Salyer made the motion to approve the preliminary plat, member Jim Gast seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

An appointment the plan commission made last month also was corrected at Monday’s meeting.

At the Feb. 12 plan commission meeting, the board “reappointed” Commission President Rick Keeven to the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals as the commission’s representative for 2024.

However, Taylor pointed out to the commission, Keeven is the mayor’s appointment to the BZA and the plan commission needed to reappoint its own appointee, who is Bob Coffelt.

Coffelt agreed to continue to serve on the BZA until sometime this summer as he is moving out of state.

Commission member Michelle Boxell made a motion to reappoint Coffelt to the BZA, member Dan Stevens seconded the motion and the reappointment was passed unanimously.