Map image shows where the proposed site would be located, between Buck Creek Road and Caroll Road, off of CR 200 W.
Map image from a traffic study done by Lynn Means, senior transportation engineer for BLA Inc.
HANCOCK COUNTY — After an approximately hour-and-a-half discussion, Hancock County’s plan commission gave an unfavorable recommendation for the rezoning of 23 acres in the western part of the county.
The possibility of rezoning 23 acres from W. 200 N between Buck Creek Road and 800 W. Carroll Road was brought to the commission first back in February. This rezoning would change from the current Industrial Business Park (IBP) to Industrial Light (IL).
The three different kinds of zones are IBP, IL and IG (Industrial General).
Future plans for this rezoning would be to build a truck repair shop for semi tractors and have available storage for semi trailers, which would fall under IL.
When presented with the idea of rezoning an area, the board has to consider five criteria in the zoning ordinance. Those include questions like is it consistent with the comprehensive plan, is it in keeping with the current conditions of character and uses in the area; is it the most desirable use for which the land is adapted; does it conserve property values across the county; and is this responsible development and growth.
“We do our best to point out factors we feel the plan commission should consider, but then ultimately they have to announce their feelings about that when they cast their vote,” said Kayla Brooks, Hancock County planning director.
Brooks presented to the board that adjacent areas to this piece of land that are in Marion County are currently residential and are intended to remain residential. Brooks also told the board that she would make her staff recommendation unfavorable due to the truck storage use being an outside use and not so compatible with the neighboring residential sites.
“We need to start transitioning out of the big box warehouse so that when we hit subdivisions, its not a big wall of industrial buildings… scale it down to something that blends well,” Brooks told the board.
The possibility of asking the petitioner for downsizing to a smaller site was also mentioned.
The board had previously requested that the petitioner have a traffic study conducted for this location after a raise of concern for increased traffic with semi trailers and tractors.
Lynn Means, senior transportation engineer for BLA Inc., prepared the impact traffic study which stated that the project would include “a new, approximately 3,240 square-foot office and 4,960 square-foot repair shop and a truck storage yard for 69 vehicles on the western, approximately 6.3-acres of the site. The remaining 16.9-acres will remain vacant. Access to the site is proposed via one, new driveway on CR 200 N”.
Means said that when conducting the requested traffic study, existing traffic volumes within the area were established by weekday morning and evening intersection turning movement counts during May 2023, and they also reviewed crash data over the last five years for that specific area.
The study showed that there were 17 crashes at the intersection of CR 200 N and 700 W over the last five years, averaging approximately three crashes a year. Of those 17 crashes, four occurred during wet or icy road conditions. It was reported that there was no distinct crash type for these accidents.
CR 200 N and Buck Creek Road experienced one crash in the last five years, and CR 200 N and CR 800 W experienced two crashes, all three being dry road conditions.
With this study, the recommendations from it were to have the proposed site have a driveway to accommodate the size of the vehicles, and should provide one inbound and outbound lane with a stop sign for traffic control.
Micheal Long, president of the area plan commission, wanted to know if there would be a solution for the turn issue on CR 700 W, by which Means responded that it would be something to watch for and a signal, flashers or another type of traffic control may eventually be needed.
After presenting the traffic study, three people came to speak to the board on why they did not want this area rezoned for the repair shop and truck storage.
Larry Sedan, a community member who attended the meeting expressed his feelings by stating that he believed the proposal was not a good idea and the area was not designed for this kind of truck traffic.
A couple, Tim and Shani Williams, were from Marion County and came to ask the board to not support the rezoning of the area. Shani Williams told the board about how Marion County has honored their zoning and has kept residential away from industrial.
“I raise my son there. I’ve raised three other children there. We have a school bus stop in front of the house. It is no place for semi trucks,” Shani said.
After discussion and hearing from the public, board member Lacey Willard made a motion for an unfavorable recommendation to the county commissioners for the rezoning of the acres. The motion passed unanimously.
