Culver Garden Court – Rezoning

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The Plan Commission met on its regular third Tuesday night last month.  Rezoning the newly annexed properties on the south side of Culver was on the agenda.  Unfortunately, they did not have a quorum.  The meeting was rescheduled for the following Monday (Monday of last week) and the hearing was held then. I was unable to attend the hearing as I had a scheduling conflict.  I sent a letter of support (see it here) and I understand the rezoning was passed without remonstration.
 
I was a little surprised that the Plan Commission did not follow the Comprehensive Plan recommendations which I would have interpreted to suggest this area should have been zoned R-2.  The Plan Commission did zone the northern third, which included the McGee Property and the newly subdivided Garden Court Parcel to R-2 as per the agreement with Mr. McGee, but the remaining 2/3rds were zoned R-1.  My letter cited various references in the Comp Plan, but my source on the Plan Commission said that the property owners in that section preferred R-1.
 
Unfortunately, I think this may have been a lack of understanding or foresight on their part.  The basic difference between the two zonings is the density requirements and the allowance for multi-family development under R-2.  There is very little that can be done under R-1 that can’t be done under R-2.  (See the Use Matrix in the Zoning Ordinance here).
 
A continuing theme in the Comp Plan is affordable housing.  The Comp Plan is extremely dated as it was completed over 10 years ago and the housing issue has not been corrected in the past decade.  Allowing higher densities in housing is one way that housing can be made more affordable.  Higher densities are also a goal of the green movement as it promotes more efficient use of land and infrastructure.
 
In any case, I’m pleased to see that the Plan Commission has taken the steps to upgrade the zoning in this area and plan for future development. The Town Council has taken steps to extend water and sewer to the northern third of this area.  That project will be underway this Spring and was necessary for the construction of the Culver Garden Court.  I think this is a positive step for the area and may be the first step towards seeing additional housing starts in Culver.

Pioneer Award

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Hey, I’ve received the Pioneer Award from Andrea Cook at iHEARTgreenmedia.  All right, all right, hold down the Oooo’s and Ahhh’s…  It is always nice to get noticed.

Andrea is a friend with whom I’ve been working on several projects, not to mention the fact that we continually cross paths in our volunteer lives.  We just recently debated Lurkers on her LinkedIn Social Media page.  I had previously discussed my thoughts on Lurkers here. 

Andrea is very active in the community and is doing good things for Culver and Plymouth through her iHEARTculver and iHEARTplymouth sites.  Check her out.

Attic Insulation

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Typical Ice Dam Condition

Becky and I made a trip to South Bend last week and she pointed out the icicles on many of the houses and buildings.  This led to a discussion on ice dams, which I discussed here previously.   There’s another nice picture here.

It was one of those days where it was easy to see which buildings and homes had good attic insulation and which didn’t.   The temperatures were just below freezing and it had been nearly a week since the last snow.  Those structures with poor attic insulation stood out easily amongst the sea of white roofs.

The fact that heat rises makes it fairly easy to understand that the majority of a structure’s heat loss is through the roof.  In most homes, adding attic insulation is a fairly economical way to save energy costs.  When done correctly in conjunction with proper venting, it can prevent or cure ice dam issues as well.  This is green that saves green!

Icicles are pretty, but they may well be the sign of underlying problems and potentially the precursor to water damage.  Take a look at your home the next time you pull into your neighborhood.  If your house has lots of pretty icicles and is the only one without snow on the roof, you may have an insulation deficit.

Bass Lake Shore Club BZA Hearing

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The Shore Club LogoWe have been working with the new owners of The Shore Club to reopen the restaurant on the north end of Bass Lake.  I remember going to The Shore Club for years and I’m excited that we’re involved with its rebirth!

Last Thursday evening we appeared before the Starke County BZA to request a Conditional Use Variance to allow the restaurant to reopen.  It was heartwarming to hear the reminiscences from those there about past good times at The Shore Club.  There was even one unsolicited audience member that we didn’t know who stood up and voiced her support!

The Variance was required because of the gap in restaurant use between the time the restaurant closed and now.  The property is in a Residential District.  The Variance was granted unanimously.

The new owners look forward to reopening the facility as a restaurant and banquet center.  We will be doing interior remodeling and some minor exterior remodeling to bring it into line with ADA standards.  The interior will be updated and modernized.  There will be revisions to increase the parking for the facility as well.  We are excited to be involved with this project.