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DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Regular Meeting M I N U T E S The regular meeting of the Development Advisory Committee was held on June 6, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in the Porter County Administration Center, 155 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, Indiana. Those members present were James Branham, Harvey Nix, Ray Joseph, Kevin Breitzke, Tim Cole and Robert W. Thompson Jr. The following cases were heard by the Committee on this date: Informal for temporary classrooms for Porter Township School. Steve Tobias stated that he is the director of facilities at Porter Township Schools, 248 S. 500 W., Valparaiso, and that he is representing the petitioner in this matter. They are requesting consideration for an additional portable classroom. They were before DAC last year around the same time. Due to student population, it was necessary for them to have three portable classroom structures located to the West, behind the building, off of an asphalt apron that was existing. Those have been there now for not quite a year, and, due to continued enrollment projections, they are requesting to put another portable classroom adjacent to that, perpendicular to the other three off the same existing asphalt apron. Mr. Thompson stated that this is considered a temporary use and in the first year that that can be permitted by staff. He just asked that Mr. Tobias come in and present the plans. Mr. Tobias stated that they have had a hearing for a building project, with no remonstrance filed on it, so they are going to proceed with the design team to alleviate the problems they are having with over-crowding by getting into some sort of building project. They have all intentions of eliminating these temporary structures as soon as they can. They also have an application before the BZA to start the process for the original three structures. Mr. Branham stated that he wasn’t here for the approval of the original three structures, and he does see something that causes him a bit of curiosity. Was there a fire rating listed on the vinyl finish on the inside of the buildings? Mr. Tobias stated that he doesn’t know that. Mr. Branham stated that they probably need to ask that company for that just to protect themselves. Mr. Breitzke stated that they are talking about the elementary school. Is that going to be the site of the new school, or will it be another location?
Mr. Tobias stated that they had a facility committee made up of parents, teachers, staff, the architect, who came to some sort of solution. After 6 weeks of study on that, the option that they are Mr. Breitzke asked if it will be grades 4-6 at this site. Mr. Tobias stated that that site will be K-3. Grades 4 through 6 then would move to Boone Grove Middle School. The 7th and 8th grade, which are down there now, would move up to the high school site. So, it’s shifting some populations around. Mr. Cole asked, how old is this present school? Mr. Tobias stated that the present school was completed in 1976. Mr. Cole stated that he’s sure the specifications on a modular classroom are state-controlled and he is amazed at the very minimal specifications that they are. He would like to know if they are leasing this classroom. Mr. Tobias stated that they are. Mr. Cole stated that the reason he asks is that they become very affordable education units for parks and community projects, and he knows that when they go out of use for them, they become very dear for people looking for those items. Mr. Tobias stated that when you purchase some, sometimes trying to get rid of them is an issue. Mr. Cole asked if the students need to go outside to go into these. Mr. Tobias stated, yes. They are not that far away from the building itself, but they stay in there. They have adequate HVAC units. They chose to put the older kids in those units. The fifth graders had been the ones who were in them. Some of the parents had concerns about their kids being in there. They are pushing for a building project. But, once in there, they found they had adequate space. But he would like to see them go as soon as they can. Mr. Cole stated that this is kind of a hill, with probably a 4-foot separation from top to bottom. He asked if they are putting in fill for these.
Mr. Tobias stated that they have piers that they rest on. They haven’t had any issues with that. They put skirts on them. They haven’t had a problem with elevations out there. They don’t have a drainage issue. They put concrete stoops there to meet the existing elevation of the asphalt, and it’s worked out well for them. Mr. Breitzke asked if these are tied down like a mobile home. Mr. Tobias stated that they have anchors. Mr. Breitzke stated that that would be his one concern about safety of these units. The other one is how permanent these might be. Mr. Tobias stated that they will build as soon as they can. Right now, their timeline is, if they continue to push forward, would be to start…this problem was going to be there, probably, for at least three years, only because what they need first before they can move the elementary kids out, they’ve got to get those middle school kids out and up to the high school site. So, if they go with a phased approach, they would get approval for construction at the high school site, finish that and, once those kids are moved up there, then they can take the elementary students and move them down to the Boone Grove site. So, realistically, it’s going to be two to three years, at the earliest, before they will be able to address that, and that’s on a fairly aggressive schedule. Their goal right now is to be ready with schematic design and be ready to put the construction documents out of the street by January/February of ’09, and that’s a big task. Mr. Breitzke asked if, architecturally, the temporary structures are consistent with the present buildings. Mr. Tobias stated that the ones they got are fairly new, and they refurbish…they totally redo the entire inside of the structure. Looking at them from an aesthetic appeal, they look very nice. They are in good condition. The other thing is, he wanted to tuck these behind the building. There is a nice asphalt apron that’s there. A lot of people didn’t even know they are there. Mr. Breitzke asked if they are readily accessible to fire fighting equipment. Mr. Tobias stated, yes. There is a driveway that goes back. Mr. Breitzke stated, typically, with mobile homes, we have people file for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. Mr. Thompson stated that it’s not needed for this building. It’s a temporary use. All it says is permit required. Mr. Breitzke asked if there is a time limit on the permit.
Mr. Tobias stated that he thought it was a single year; then they had to go to BZA after that. Mr. Thompson stated that they are asking them to do that. Mr. Breitzke stated that he’s sure they will work with them; it’s just a matter of some kind of consistency when we have these units. Mr. Joseph stated that it says a temporary use permit is allowed for one year and may be renewed a maximum of two one-year extensions. Issue raised was fire ratings on buildings. Informal for Horvath Towers, previously approved by BZA, at 600 N. 250 W., in Liberty Township. Mr. Thompson stated, to explain this one, a tower was approved by the BZA and it was pushed back off the road into a wooded area, so that way they could kind of hide it. Now, the company that’s doing the site is saying it’s a wetland and they cannot put it there. He stated that the BZA was pretty specific on where they wanted this thing located. Now they are saying they can’t locate it here, no idea what the location was, just to hide the view as much as possible from some of the adjoining residential areas. Mr. Joseph stated that the BZA told them to move it back 300 feet from that spot, and they never said 300 feet (inaudible – someone sneezing); they just said 300 feet. So they want to move it 300 feet North and then East another 200 feet, so it’s kind of hazy. Mr. Breitzke asked how owns the land that they are siting on. Mr. Thompson stated that he’s not sure. Mr. Breitzke stated that that gate was open a couple days ago. He stated that he thinks they are just going to have to keep looking for a better site and start talking to some of the other property owners. Mr. Thompson stated that the landowner is Kielpikowski Family Revocable Living Trust out of Muncie. Mr. Breitzke stated that he absolutely recommends against putting it in the wetlands. Mr. Joseph stated that they want to move it East, but there are houses close by where they want to move it. Mr. Breitzke stated that Fox Burrow Run is just to the East of that site. Mr. Joseph stated that they were asking him for permission to do it. Mr. Breitzke stated, no, they need another proposal to go before BZA, is his opinion. They need to go back to the BZA with a new siting. It’s deviating pretty substantially from the public meeting, public hearing, and it affects a whole new different group of people. Everybody who’s affected should have their say. At this time, the meeting was adjourned. |
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June 6, 2008