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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJPC September 30, 2025 MINUTES OF THE JEFFERSONVILLE PLAN COMMISSION September 30, 2025 Call to Order Board President Mike McCutcheon calls to order the Plan Commission meeting. It is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 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, Chris Bottorff, Bill Burns, Donna Reed, and Steve Webb were present in the City Council Chambers. Member David Schmidt was absent. Also present were Planning & Zoning Attorney Les Merkley, Planning and Zoning Director Chad Reischl, Secretary Shane Shaughnessy, and Planner Shelby Walsh. (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 August 26, 2025. Ms. Reed made a motion to approve the August 26, 2025 minutes, seconded by Mr. Bottorff. Roll Call vote. Motion passed 6-0. Approval of the Docket Motion to approve the agenda made by Mr. Bottorff, seconded by Mr. Burns. Roll call vote. Motion passed 6-0. Old Business None New Business PC-25-32 Secondary Plat Andrew Norton on behalf of Bachman Auto Group filed a Secondary Plat application for the property located at 1761 Veterans Parkway. The application is to re-plat the property for future commercial development. The current zoning is C2 (Commercial—Large Scale). The Docket Number is PC-25-32. Evalyn Martin with Heritage Engineering said she is representing the Bachman Auto Group and that they their client is proposing to build a new Hyundai dealership as well as an additional dealership in the future on the site. In 2024, a plat was approved and recorded containing 6 parcels, 3 of which are developed or under development. The other 3 parcels have been consolidated into one parcel and that the current proposal is to amend the Secondary Plat to split that consolidated parcel into 2 tracts. The new tracts will have access to Veterans Parkway or an internal easement. Mr. Reischl said that typically secondary plats are approved by Staff but because this is a significant change to an approved plat, he felt the Plan Commission should weigh in on it and that Staff does not have concerns with what was proposed. 1 Open Public Comment No comment Close Public Comment Mr. Burns made a motion to approve the secondary plat, seconded by Ms. Reed. Roll call vote. Motion passed 6-0. PC-25-33 Rezoning Jacob Knigge filed a Rezoning application for the property located at 5030 Hamburg Pike. The current zoning is NS (Institutional Uses); the proposed zoning is 11 (Business Park/Light Industrial). The Docket Number is PC-25-33. Jay McCain with Geoghegan Roofing said that they are requesting a rezoning to relocate their commercial headquarters to the property. He said they do business on numerous commercial developments. He said that they understand the concerns with rezoning to I1, but it is their intention that this site will be their permanent home. They will be renovating the existing building to become their offices and will be building a shop building for their metal fabrication business and storage. The metal fabrication includes creating materials for their roofing operations. They also plan to build a rental flex space, the size of which will be dependent on how much additional land is available on the lot. He said they are aware that the property is in the floodplain and that they will address those issues during the building process. Mr. Reischl said that this property is on a corridor with a wide number of uses including industrial, vacant commercially-zoned properties, and single-family homes. Currently the property is zoned Institutional as it formerly held the Jeffersonville Baptist Temple. The Institutional zoning district can be problematic when trying to develop the property as only a small number of uses are permitted in it. The question is whether the I1 zoning is appropriate or if there are other ways to get the use approved. Staff does not have a problem with the size and scale of the proposed use, but is hesitant because the I1 zone district could allow other uses that could have negative impacts on surrounding properties. Open Public Comment Dan Shoop said he owns the properties directly east of the property, 5108 and 5032 Hamburg Pike. He said that there has been a large increase in traffic on Hamburg Pike and Coopers Lane but he was mostly concerned with the environmental impact of rezoning to industrial. The property is basically their front yard and that he has taken care of the property for the past 5 years and is concerned with having to look at a big metal building. Stan Richards of 2702 Amber Waves Drive said that he is representing Jesse Ballew and the Hidden Lakes Homeowners Association and that his home is the closest to the property in the Hidden Lakes subdivision. He said that he has concerns that rezoning to industrial would open uses that are not appropriate for the area. He said that he's concerned with the height limits in the 11 and that this would be one of the only few commercial properties on that side of Hamburg Pike. He said that he is concerned with air quality that would come with the metal fabrication. Norman Estes of 5005 Hamburg Pike said that the proposed business would be better served in an industrial park, not in a residential area. Close Public Comment 2 Mr. McCain said that they are interested in this property as the size would allow them to grow their company compared to the property they're currently at. He said the metal fabrication are cutting and folding machines, not soldering and that ventilation and air quality aren't a concern with what they will be doing on site. The proposed building would be mainly for storage and that they could have the option to grow into the future flex space if needed. He said the neighboring property owners had asked them for an access easement to help connect to Hamburg Pike. Mr. McCutcheon asked Mr. Reischl about buffer standards which Mr. Reischl confirmed would have to be planted along the property abutting residential properties. Mr. McCain said they do not have opposition to adding landscaping to the property and that they are interested in making the area look better because it is their corporate headquarters. Mr. Reischl said that based on the applicant's business, the I1 makes the most sense. If they were just a contractor's office a commercial zoning would be more appropriate but because they are manufacturing, it moves the use into something more industrial. Ms. Reed said that there is a middle ground that could be found and that the NS zoning causes many issues because it's so restrictive and could allow uses like drug rehab centers in the future. She said it makes sense to move out of NS but that the 11 could open up issues with other uses. Mr. McCain said that they are not opposed to a commercial zoning district because their manufacturing isn't heavy duty. Ms. Reed said that zoning to commercial with an exception for their particular use would probably be the most appropriate and would also give the neighbors some more assurance and protection. Mr. Burns asked what kind of materials were being prepared. Mr. Knigge said they had two machines that just bends metal into shapes primarily for their own use at jobs but that they also sell it to other contractors. Mr. McCutcheon asked if they could change the proposed zoning district now that it's been advertised which Mr. Reischl said the better way of doing this would be to come back to the table with a different zoning designation and request a Use Variance from the BZA for the manufacturing component. Mr. McCutcheon asked if tabling the matter for another month would cause an issue for the applicant which the applicant said they would have to ask for an extension from the property owner. Mr. Merkley said they could proceed with the I1 rezoning with the condition that they make a written zoning commitment but that would have to be hashed out after this meeting. Ms. Reed said that something like this would allow them to balance supporting their business with the concerns of the neighbors. Mr. Burns made a motion to table the item until next month's meeting, seconded by Ms. Reed. Roll call vote. Motion passed 6-0. ZO-25-05 Text Amendment The Department of Planning and Zoning submitted a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance for recommendation to the City Council. The proposed amendments are for Article 10, as they pertain to Processes and Procedures. The Docket Number is ZO-25-05. Mr. Reischl said that following some recent cases that came to the Plan Commission, Staff had found that there was a loophole in the rezoning procedures and are proposing a change in the language found in Article 10 of the UDO to close that. Previously, if a rezoning was denied by the City Council, they would not be able to reapply for 6 months, however they could go to the Plan Commission, receive a recommendation, and then withdraw and reapply within that 6 month window. The new language states that the Zoning Director shall not accept a rezoning petition within 6 months following a denial by City Council or withdrawal of the petition following a Plan Commission meeting which would prevent people from reapplying over and over again. 3 Mr. Webb asked if this change was due to recent rezoning requests which Mr. Reischl said it was. Mr. Bottorff asked if there were exceptions which Mr. Reischl said that the Director would have the ability to allow for a reapplication if significant changes were made to the application which Mr. Bottorff said would be a good thing as there could be unique scenarios that would call for that. Open Public Comment No comment Close Public Comment Mr. Burns asked if this would affect applicants who wished to table their application which Mr. Reischl said it would not. Mr. Burns asked that hypothetically an applicant fell ill and had to withdraw their application due to health concerns if they would be affected which Mr. Reischl said the new language would only affect an applicant following the Plan Commission meeting and that in such an extreme example, the Director would have the authority to allow a resubmittal. Ms. Reed made a motion a favorable recommendation, seconded by Mr. Webb. Roll call vote. Motion passed 6-0. Administrative Review Update None Report from Director's and Staff None Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Plan Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 6:07 pm. ,�. . Mike McCutcheon, Chair Shane Shaugh ssy, ecretary 4 7