Tag:Culver
South Side Update
Tuesday night was the regular meeting of the Culver Plan Commission. The only agenda item was a replatting of the Rhodes property, combining several lots into one. This passed with little question.
Under “Public Input”, John Zehner presented his plans to change the use of the Ten Spot to a restaurant and motel. The presentation wasn’t required, but was more of a courtesy, keeping the Plan Commission apprised of the change in use. The Plan Commission also supported this proposal.
I took the opportunity to plant some seeds regarding the development on the south side of Culver, basically outlining the thoughts I had previously presented here. I was pleased that the Plan Commission was fairly receptive. They agreed to consider most of what I suggested. I truly think this is an opportunity for the Town to get out in front of some issues and encourage the type of development they would like to see. They are considering forming a subcommittee to look into this with the idea that the subcommittee would try and form community partnerships and foster buy-in. All in all a very positive evening!
Development on the South Side of Culver
As recently discussed here, the Culver Plan Commission rezoned the newly annexed area on the south side of Culver to a residential mix of R-1 and R-2. I think the annexation, the rezoning and the planned sewer and water extensions are positive steps towards growth. Now I think there should be a discussion about the future of this area.Culver Garden Court – Rezoning
Congratulations to Andrea Cook and The Midas Center
Attendees at The Midas Center Reception (Left to Right: Bob Wagner, Brent Martin, Kevin Berger and Marcy EckoffWagner
Congratulations to Andrea Cook and The Midas Center on their move to their new location at 200 North Michigan Street in Plymouth. I attended their Reception on December 17th and it was interesting to see their progress and the various people, some of them old friends, that are involved and were there to help them.
I initially connected to Andrea through her position on the Culver Redevelopment Commission. She has become quite active in the Culver and Plymouth Communities through her business at The Midas Center as well as her two community promotion sites, iHEARTplymouth and iHEARTculver. I have consulted with Andrea and her husband Phil on the status of the historic building they have purchased and we are working with them on a restoration project at the site.
Marshall County Innkeeper’s Tax
The Marshall County Council chose to increase the Innkeeper’s Tax from 3 to 5 percent. [Pilot News Article] I’ve had a disagreement with this tax since it first went into effect over a decade ago.
My first issue is the same as Dr. Watson’s. (See his letter to the editor here.) It is taxation without representation. It was originally passed “because we could” rather than because there was a need. Now it appears that it has been raised using the same rational. From the Pilot News Article: “Woolfington [Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director] pointed out that Marshall County was one of just a handful of counties in the state of Indiana that has held the tax at 3 percent. Adjacent counties have raised their tax to the 5 percent level and St. Joseph County is at 6 percent.” Mr. Woolfington then goes on to talk about our loss of a major hotel chain. Somehow I doubt that this was because they suffered a decline in business because they weren’t charging enough! How is raising our tax rate to match surrounding counties going to attract people to stay here?
My second issue with this has always been the Marshall County Visitor’s Guide. Despite the Innkeeper’s Tax, the first thing the newly formed Visitor’s and Convention Bureau did was to start shaking down local businesses and Chambers of Commerce for ads in their new visitor’s guide. Currently more than that 10% of the Culver Chamber of Commerce’s annual budget goes toward an ad in this guide. I was on the Culver Chamber Board when this went into effect and I voted against that budget item and the passing of the budget including that item until I left the board and I continued to vote against it as a Chamber member for several years after. (I now generally skip that meeting as my meal doesn’t sit well after that vote…) I considered it then and now a phenomenal waste of precious dollars…dollars requested by a tax funded entity of a volunteer organization. Dollars which wouldn’t need them if MCCVB was effective in it’s mission!
