HomeMy WebLinkAboutJPC April 30, 2024 MINUTES OF THE
JEFFERSONVILLE PLAN COMMISSION
April 30, 2024
Call to Order
Board President Mike McCutcheon calls to order the Plan Commission meeting. It is Tuesday,
April 30, 2024, it is 5:30 pm in the City Council Chambers, Jeffersonville City Hall, 500
Quartermaster Ct., Jeffersonville, Indiana. The meeting was held in person and streamed live on
the City's website and City's Facebook page.
Roll Call
Board President Mike McCutcheon and board members Duard Avery, Bill Burns, Chris Bottorff,
Donna Reed, David Schmidt, and Steve Webb were present in the City Council Chambers. Also
present were Planning & Zoning Attorney Les Merkley, Planning and Zoning Director Chad
Reischl, and Secretary Zachary Giuffre.
(Secretary's Note: All plat maps, public letters, photos, etc. presented before the Plan
Commission on this date can be found in the office of Planning & Zoning.)
Approval of Minutes
Approval of the minutes from March 26, 2024. Mr. Schmidt made a motion to approve the March
26, 2024 minutes, seconded by Ms. Reed. Roll Call vote. Motion passed 7-0.
Approval of the Docket
Motion to approve the agenda made by Mr. Burns, seconded by Mr. Bottorff. Roll call vote. Motion
passed 7-0.
Old Business
None
New Business
PC-24-13 Rezoning
The City of Jeffersonville's Planning and Zoning Department filed a Rezoning application for the
property at 705 E. Maple Street. The property is currently split zoned with zoning of R4 (Single
Family Residential— Old City) and M2 (Multi-Family Residential— Medium Scale); the proposed
zoning is R4 (Single Family Residential —Old City). The Docket Number is PC-24-13.
Chad Reischl stated the following:
• The owner of the two parcels, Mr. Francis Hamilton, went through a replatting process to
combine the garage from one property with the house on another property. In doing so,
he created a split-zoned parcel, half being M2 and half being R4.
• We would like to correct that zone district so that the R4 district covers the entire
property. We have the property owner's affidavit.
Open Public Comment
No comment
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Close Public Comment
Mr. Burns made a motion for a favorable recommendation, seconded by Mr. Schmidt. Roll Call
vote. Motion passed 7-0.
PC-24-14 Primary Plat
Berry Built LLC filed a Primary Plat application for the property at 3305 Holmans Lane. The
application is for a 9-lot single-family residential subdivision. The current zoning is R3 (Single
Family Residential — Small Lot). The Docket Number is PC-24-14.
John Campbell, with Heritage Engineering, stated the following:
• Mike Berry is with me tonight.
• You saw this rezoning last month with a favorable recommendation to City Council which
was approved.
• This plan is for 9 single-family lots with a private access drive. In the middle of the tract,
there will be a dedicated open-space lot due to the presence of large overhead
transmission lines.
• The single family housing will be grouped in threes.
• After the City Council requested that we consult with emergency services concerning the
proposed drive, we are proposing a turn-around area midblock. It is a 22ft wide private
roadway. This will allow for large emergency vehicles to access the property and exit out
onto Holmans Lane without having to backup into traffic.
Chad Reischl stated the proposed subdivision is an infill project that meets the goals of the
Comprehensive Plan. The shape and the layout of the property make it difficult to develop and so
we are proposing modifications for lot coverage and the Oft side yard setback for attached
residences.
Open Public Comment
Jennifer Burton, who lives in Meadow Springs at 4602 Golden Crest Drive, stated I am against
this development. I have brought a flash drive with pictures and videos of flooding that has been
caused by excavations going on and the aftermaths of what it has caused.
Mr. McCuthceon asked how does this affect you if you live in Meadow Springs?
Jennifer Burton stated this property is right behind my house.
Mr. McCutcehon said this project is on Holmans Lane. You are probably here for another
project. Please wait until your case comes up to speak.
Close Public Comment
Ms. Reed stated I appreciate you taking the comments from City Council and adjusting it for
emergency vehicles.
Mr. McCutcheon asked what is the distance from Holmans Lane to the back of the drive?
John Campbell stated roughly 1,100 feet.
Mr. McCutcheon stated this is a private access drive, meaning City services would not go down
the drive for things like garbage pickup. My concern is that garbage collectors, UPS trucks, etc.
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will have a hard time accessing this drive. 1,100ft is a pretty large distance to the back of the
drive. That said, the fire department might have to install a fire hydrant at the end of the drive to
provide adequate service.
John Campbell stated we conveyed your comments to the developer, Mike. We have started
discussions with American Water and there should be no issue with including the hydrant that
you mentioned.
Mr. Bottorff asked is the plat that we are being asked to approve the one that was presented?
John Campbell stated yes, it is.
Mr. McCutcheon stated I was hoping that the parking area shown midblock could be given more
depth to provide for better turn around opportunities. Chad, if the applicant made this change,
could your staff approve it at a later date if we approve the plat tonight?
Chad Reischl stated that is a question for Les Merkley.
John Campbell stated I would recommend that we leave this configuration similar to the way it is
drawn and add these spaces to the side of it to clearly define where the cars are supposed to
park.
Chad Reischl asked would you like to make that a motion that they integrate a turn around and
3 parking spots?
Mr. Schmidt made a motion for approval with the proposed changes for the turn around and 3
parking spaces, seconded by Mr. Burns. Roll Call vote. Motion passed 7-0.
PC-24-15 Primary Plat
Chase Murphy Enterprises Inc. filed a Primary Plat application for the property at 3409 and 3410
Stenger Lane. The application is for a 19-lot single-family residential subdivision. The current
zoning is R3 (Single Family Residential — Small Lot). The Docket Number is PC-24-15.
Harold Hart, with Hart Surveying and Engineering, stated the following:
• This is a preliminary plat of a 19-lot subdivision.
• We are coming off of Sundew. The location of the subdivision is located northeast of the
Meadows subdivision. Our boundaries are up against the CSX railroad.
• The site constrains are challenging because of the presence of a 100ft wide overhead
transmission line, a 20ft wide water main distribution easement, and a wetland.
• RES came out and delineated wetlands and identified the stream as an intermittent
stream, but it is jurisdictional water. If the plat is approved, we will have to get IDEM and
the Army Core's approval to make modifications to reduce the size of the wetland and
work in the jurisdictional stream.
Chad Reischl stated there was a previous iteration of this plan about a year ago that cut all the
way through to Stenger Lane. In contrast, this property will end in a cul-de-sac and not connect to
Stenger Lane. From a planning perspective, this meets the goals of the Comprehensive Plan to
provide more housing in this area of the city and should not cause any harm. There is one
modification for 4ft sidewalks instead of the 5ft sidewalks we usually provide because the
sidewalks in the Meadows are all 4ft wide.
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Mr. Bottorff asked can I clarify that that is the only request this evening?
Mr. McCutcheon stated yes, it is.
Open Public Comment
Jennifer Burton, who lives in Meadow Springs at 4602 Golden Crest Drive, stated this property
is behind my home. The stream/creek runs all the way across the farm beside it, which is owned
by the Sanders family. There is a lot of flooding and land erosion due to the excavation on
Coopers Lane. The water flow now runs in two different directions. There is a retention basin in
Meadow Springs that floods the road and prevents us from getting in and out. The erosion has
washed away the backyards in the meadows so bad that the utilities are now exposed.
Chad Reischl stated this subdivision will stop well before it gets to the power line that crosses
this site.
Mr. McCutcheon stated we are not the drainage board; we are simply denying or approving the
plat. For flooding issues, you will have to approach the drainage board as they handle those
considerations. We will take the information that you have on the flash drive and enter it into the
record.
Melinda Ames, who lives at 3404 Stenger Lane, stated we would like to know how close to
Stenger Lane this is coming. I am personally against this project in regards to flooding, sound,
natural barriers, and more. There will be no access from Stenger Lane so emergency services
will have to come all the way through the Meadows. People will have to cut through two
subdivisions to get out of their homes
Edward Collins, who lives at 3518 Stenger Lane, stated my property is right across from this
proposed project. I am opposed to the project because I have had bad experiences with
construction companies near my property. There are issues with these companies being
irresponsible with leaving brush. I do not think we need more houses back there. The
greenspace would be much more beneficial to the neighborhood and the environment. The
wildlife will be driven onto my property. There will be more pollution.
Close Public Comment
Harold Hart stated regarding drainage, there is a 30in steel pipe that restricts the flow of water.
There will be predominantly underground detention to control runoff. We will be in compliance
with the Jeffersonville Drainage Ordinance. This water circumvents Meadow Springs and
discharges into the lakes in Hidden Lakes, meaning that the drainage will not be affected in this
area. Regarding greenspace, we have a 15,000 square feet area that preserves the wetlands as
well as creates a stream buffer. We also have another 5,100 square feet greenspace to
minimize environmental impact. We are looking at bringing in a secondary entrance for future
development to allow for safe ingress and egress.
Mr. Webb asked where is the entrance located?
Harold Hart stated it is located at the dead end street of Meadow Springs.
Mr. Schmidt asked what is the distance to Stenger Lane?
Harold Hart stated the cul-de-sac distance to Stenger is probably around 600-700 feet.
Ms. Reed stated one constituent stated there was an issue with former developers not being
good stewards of the land around them. Would you be willing to give them contact numbers?
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Harold Hart stated yes, Chase Murphy will be the client.
Mr. McCutcheon stated that that property is on Stenger Lane and had nothing to do with this.
Mr. Burns made a motion for approval, seconded by Mr. Bottorff. Roll Call vote. Motion passed 6-
1 (Webb).
PC-24-16 Rezoning
The City of Jeffersonville's Redevelopment Department filed a Rezoning application for the
property at 1613 8th Street. The current zoning is NS (Institutional Uses); the proposed zoning is
R3 (Single Family Residential — Small Lot). The Docket Number is PC-24-16.
Chad Reischl stated the following:
• The City currently owns the site of the former Eastlawn School. The building was recently
demolished and the City of Jeffersonville Redevelopment Department is looking to sell the
property and turn it into a single-family residential subdivision that matches the character
of the uses around it.
• We are asking the board to rezone this property from NS (Institutional Uses) to R3.
Open Public Comment
Julita Fowler stated I am not opposed to this project; however, what defines small lot?Will they
be shotguns or two-story? What might be built?
Chad Reischl stated that the minimum lot size of the R3 zone district is 4,000 square feet. You
can expect lots in the neighborhood to be 4,000 to 5,000 square feet. There will be a platting
process in the future that follows sale of the property.
Russell Collett, who lives at 1532 Ellwanger Avenue, stated I am not opposed to building
anything on this property. I am most concerned about losing my privacy. Will there be a road for
us to use? How about selling some of the land to me?
Mr. McCutcheon stated that will be something to discuss in the future. We are not in the
business of selling land; however, we can connect you with the City of Jeffersonville
Redevelopment Department.
Michelle Pope, who lives at 1618 E. 8th St., stated I am not opposed to single-family housing as
long as there are no apartments. The railroad tracks were messed up and I wanted to say
thanks for getting them fixed.
Mr. McCutcheon stated we are not approving any multi-family housing.
Close Public Comment
Ms. Reed stated I am excited about this as my son walks to school every day. This could have
been commercial or institutional.
Mr. Schmidt made a motion for a favorable recommendation, seconded by Ms. Reed. Roll Call
vote. Motion passed 7-0.
Administrative Review Update
None
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Report from Director's and Staff
None
Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the Plan Commission, the meeting was
adjourned at 6:25 pm.
10-• —tlt\l\((
Mike McCutcheon, Chair Zachary Giuffre, Secretary
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