FC Village Board denies zoning request at April meeting
FALL CREEK - By a 4-1 vote, the Fall Creek Village Board voted to deny a request to amend the village's zoning code to add owner-occupied main floor living of the part of the building that is not being utilized as office space at the April meeting of the Board back on the 11th at the Village Hall.
Board member Karen Hurd recused herself from the vote as she was the petitioner. The village Planning Commission had recommended denial with concerns they had. Trustee Karen Herbinson was the only Board member to vote no on the motion to deny. Instead the board agreed with the Commission to form a sub-committee to look at questions of specific standards for establishing a percentage of the building that could be residential and if allowing main floor living would be good for the downtown business district.
In other zoning-related matters before the Board, they referred draft development plan of the former Raether property for potential home real estate (twin-home and single-family lots) to committee. They also appointed Village Administrator Jared McKee to open position of Zoning Administrator. The position had been filled by local volunteer in the past. And the agreed to rezone property on Water Tower Rd. from Urban Transitional to Single-Family Residential.
The Board also voted to give McKee authority to explore a possible village water rate increase with state Public Service Commission (PSC).
In other agenda items, the Board unanimously voted to amend village code to make the starting time of the Board's meeting's at 6 p.m. They also unanimously approved an agreement with the Village and the Lion’s
Club, the Fire District, and the Youth Sports Association for use of the Keller Park kitchen and restrooms contingent upon the approval of the Fall Creek Area Fire District; unanimously approved a motion to purchase trees for the boulevard at Keller Park that can include standardized plaques near individual trees to commemorate donations and or memorials.
Also during the meeting Village Clerk-Treasurer Renee Roemhild administered the oath of office to Village Trustees Ryan Aylesworth, Chester Goodman, and Sheena Kaatz and Board begins a new term,. They also heard a report from McKee on a probable fuel surcharge increase from the garbage company Waste Management. The Villiage is in the middle of a five-year contract with WM until 2025 and that contract caps the
inflationary increase to three percent although WM has never asked for a fuel surcharge from the village before.
