Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Plan Commission Gives Favorable Recommendation to Extraterritorial Jurisdiction, Housing Ordinance Change
The above map, provided to the city by M/I Homes, shows the location and lay-out of the incoming Bear Run addition off Progress Parkway.
The Shelbyville Plan Commission last night gave favorable recommendations to two matters that will now proceed to City Council for decisions. The first agenda item was extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and the second a petition to lower the minimum square footage requirement at the incoming Bear Run addition off Progress Parkway.
Discussion of the ETJ continued from the November meeting, and would assign city zoning classifications to approximately 375 non-contiguous acres in southeast Addison Township and northeast Shelby Township. ETJ is not the same as annexation, and is part of the city’s long-term efforts to streamline development in accordance with the comprehensive plan.
The city planning staff already answered numerous questions regarding the ETJ, and clarified last night that property owners with animals will be grandfathered in.
“We are presuming that they were all legally established under the county’s ordinance, and therefore they are being brought in as legal non-conforming, or grandfathered in,” planning director Adam Rude said. “So there will be no impact to any of those properties out there.”
The board allowed additional public comment, and a couple of residents stepped forward, including Shelby Township Trustee James Montgomery, who raised objections to which properties were part of the ETJ and which were excluded. The planning staff’s previous answer in writing to the question raised in November was, “We chose to include land that would be prime for future development.”
The Plan Commission unanimously issued a favorable recommendation.
In new business, the commission heard a request from M/I Homes to amend an ordinance allowing slightly smaller homes in Bear Run, in the city’s southeast quadrant. In addition to clarifying the name of the development, the revised ordinance would change the minimum living area of 1,520 square feet for a one-story home and 1,800 square feet for a two-story home to 1,400 for either type of home, which meets the existing standard of city code for residential subdivisions.
The change would not add lots to the 152-lot subdivision on Progress Parkway, M/I Homes representative Jonathan Isaacs said. Approximately a dozen homes are currently under construction and a model home has been open for a month.
Isaacs said the smaller home option would help with anti-monotony requirements, giving them an additional model, but would not be used to make a large number of homes smaller.
Plan Commission president Mike Evans was in favor of the change, and noted the reason for the anti-monotony clause was from lessons learned several years ago.
“There was one (addition) where there were like six models, and we learned that even though the vinyl is a different color, it’s like the exact same house (over and over),” he said. “That’s why we request the anti-monotony (provisions). But if you drive down Amos Road, we required that from the front elevation, we didn’t require anything from the rear elevation, so it’s like the exact same back of house (over and over).”
A resident asked about affordable housing options, which Isaacs acknowledged was a challenge. “The affordability is tougher to get all the time,” he said. “It's really difficult for us to deliver a house under $300,000 anywhere in our market in the nine-county area.”
Plan Commission member Gary Nolley said the price range has its advantages, such as ensuring those moving in from other nearby counties have disposable income. “I like that we’re going to keep this value up,” he said.
Both the ETJ and the ordinance amendment will be considered at the Feb. 5 common council meeting.
NOTEBOOK:
A driver hit a handicap parking pole in the Coulston Elementary lot, bending the pole and damaging his truck. The driver said he was unable to see the sign due to snow and salt on his windshield.
NATIONAL NEWS: Chicken has become increasingly popular on restaurant menus, with chicken items up 6.4 percent on menus in the past five years, outpacing the 4.7 percent growth for beef-based items. Restaurants are emptying their archives to get all manner of chicken-related meals back on their menus, with Popeyes permanently adding wings, KFC and Burger King adding crispy tenders in a tortilla, and McDonald’s hastily reinstating the Snack Wraps it pulled off its menus during a pandemic-era cull. Cost is a big part: Burger prices are up 10 percent year over year, while chicken sandwich prices are up just 5 percent, and cost-conscious consumers may be skipping beef for sufficiently compelling poultry offerings. (The Wall Street Journal / Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: The Shelbyville Common Council approved an ordinance that would allow the city to ask Indiana American Water to turn off water to those with delinquent sewage utility bills. Residents would have at least 90 days before the water was turned off.
2004: The Shelbyville Fire Department announced Steve Schoentrup, Doug Lutes and Jeff Tennell would be the first public relations officers for the department.
Construction work continued at the Shelbyville Health Center, located between North State Road 9 and Morristown Road. The 50,000 square-foot main building would house a skilled and assisted-living area as well as an Alzheimer’s and dementia wing. An additional 10 duplex-style assisted-living apartment would be located around the perimeter of the facility.
1994: More than 3,500 people had toured the Shelby County jail at an open house before inmates were moved in. Some waited outside for 15 minutes until it was their turn to enter.
State Rep. Jeffrey Linder, minority whip of the Indiana House, announced he would seek re-election to the 57th District House seat. The Republican was a Shelbyville attorney who also farmed south of Waldron. He was completing his second two-year term of office.
1984: Preliminary plans were announced for a Head Start program in Shelby County, offering pre-school to 44 children from low income families. The initiative was led by Human Services Inc.
1974: The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and the Shelby County Democrat Central Committee swapped quarters. The Chamber had purchased the newly-remodeled offices at 33 E. Washington St. and the Democrat party was setting up its new space at 204 Carney Building in the southwest segment of Public Square.
1964: Preliminary plans were made by county commissioners for a jail annex building, providing a central office for the sheriff’s department and housing for patrol cars and the emergency ambulance. The proposed building could be erected along the south side of the jail with a space of eight feet between the two buildings. The county probation officer would also move over from the courthouse to the new space.
Albert Callahan received the Jaycee Outstanding Young Farmer Award. It was presented by Dwain Alexander.
1954: Lowell Ash announced plans to revamp the Ash elevator site, which had burned in 1952, as well as the entire corner on the east side of Harrison St. at the south end of the bridge over Big Blue River. Ash said he was planning two adjoining buildings to be placed on the site, in addition to a new warehouse. The two new buildings would be glazed brick with plate glass fronts, one-story and facing west. Standard Grocery Co. had leased one of the buildings. The Ash filling station would be moved south to the corner of Harrison and John Streets and the front part of the petroleum company office would be used for the service station. The Ash Motor and Implement Sales building, 18 John St., would get a new front. A retaining wall, parallel with the bank of Blue River, would be built as a backing for parking. Lighted islands would be placed in front of the two new buildings, and there would be 150 parking spaces. It was to be one of the largest developments in Shelbyville in several years, news reports said.
1944: A raid at the drive-in theater on State Road 29 east of Shelbyville netted four arrests and a warning to the owners that any further violations of the state’s alcoholic beverage law would lead to closure. People living in the vicinity had issued complaints about the theater. Under Indiana law, patrons were not allowed to take their own liquor into a public place for consumption. Since the drive-in was open long after taverns closed, more people had been bringing their liquor to the drive-in, police said.
1934: Over 1,500 local residents signed a petition asking that W.F. Loper, principal of Shelbyville High School, be appointed superintendent. Wilbur F. Pell presented the petitions to the school board. The local Kiwanis and Lions clubs also adopted resolutions expressing support for Loper. The process to fill the position vacated by W.F. Vogel was “holding more than an ordinary amount of interest among Shelbyville people,” the paper said.
1924: Interurban cars were behind schedule due to their water system freezing overnight.
The J.G. DePrez Co. started selling Chambers Fireless gas ranges, which promised to cut gas bills in half.
1914: Claude Carpenter, 28, a farmer south of Norristown, was seriously injured when his horse-drawn cart was struck by a railroad engine backing into a cut of freight cars in Flat Rock. Carpenter was taken to Dr. Shaw’s office, his two horses were killed and his wagon was “reduced to kindling wood,” The Republican reported.
The Council of Clubs announced the upcoming Chautauqua schedule, slated for August. Booker T. Washington was one of the featured speakers. “Last year, the people felt like there were too many entertainments and many of them not up to the standard of what Shelbyville audiences need and demand,” The Republican said. The Chicago Operatic Company was scheduled to give two performances. Over 800 of the 1,000 tickets had already been sold.
OBITUARIES
William G. “Pete” Swango, 86, of Shelbyville, passed away, Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at Franciscan St. Francis Health in Indianapolis.
A Gathering of Friends and Family will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, January 27, 2024, at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, 3718 E. Blue Ridge Road, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176.
Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 90, Memphis, Tennessee 38101-9929. Online condolences may be shared with Pete’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Paul Edward Jacobs Sr., 84, of Shelbyville, passed away Saturday January 20, 2024 at his residence. He was born August 31, 1939 in Rushville, IN to Virgil Jacobs and Viola (Cisco) Jacobs.
Paul worked at KT Corporation and specialized in welding before retiring after many years of service.
Paul loved to sing and dance, especially when his favorite songs would come on. Going to church was very important to him, and he enjoyed the times he was able to attend the services. Paul had a great sense of humor and enjoyed joking with his family. Spending time and making memories with them was always some of his favorite times.
He married Luvern Regina (Dixon) Jacobs on December 11, 1965, and they spent 40 wonderful years of marriage together before she preceded him in death on June 14, 2006. Paul is survived by his children, Barb Steele, Robert Merrick, Debbie (husband, Terry) Hammer, Marcia (husband, Barry) Geiling, Lisa Browning, Rhonda (husband, Dennis) Logsdon, Paul Jacobs Jr. (companion, Debbie), Elwona (husband, Larry) Pindell (Jacobs); 31 grandchildren, 85 great-grandchildren; one brother and four sisters. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; two sisters; one granddaughter and two great-granddaughters.
Visitation will be Thursday, January 25, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Funeral services will be Friday, January 26, 2024 at 11 a.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Services with Pastor Danny May officiating. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Paul’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.