Warsaw Times-Union City Council Article

Here is the Times-Union reporter's story from city council, so you can compare it with yours. You'll notice that hers is much longer than most of yours.


City Approves Martin's Resolution

Jennifer Peryam
Times-Union Staff Writer

Warsaw City Council Monday approved a resolution that declares the Menard's subdivision as an economic development target area.

Martin's Supermarkets requested two lots of the subdivision be designated as an economic development target area.

Warsaw Economic Development Commission made the recommendation to the council to approve the area for the use.

The supermarket will be located along Husky Trail, Warsaw, and the residential subdivision that has not yet been built will be located behind the supermarket.

A preliminary hearing for the issue was Monday night and a public hearing will be at the city council's Dec. 21 meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall.

By designating the property an economic development target area, the city will permit Martin's to file a five-year tax abatement on real property improvements.

Along with the resolution, Martin's submitted a statement of benefits for those estimated real property improvements.

During Monday's meeting, Council President and City Councilman Joe Thallemer and councilmen Kyle Babcock, Jerry Patterson, Dan Hampton and George Clemens voted in favor of the resolution.

Councilman Jeff Grose was absent during Monday's meeting. Councilman Charlie Smith abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest. Smith is Lake City Bank's executive vice president and Rob Bartels, Martin's president, serves on the Lake City Bank board.

Steve Snyder, an attorney representing Martin's, spoke Monday night on behalf of the supermarket and said the area qualifies as an economic development target area.

Martin's is estimating creating approximately 180 jobs, 70 full time and 110 part time (32-34 hours per week), with $2.5 million per year in salaries and approximately $8.4 million in real property improvements.

"Martin's is not just building a building and filling it with food, but participating in the community and providing good jobs," Snyder said.

"What Martin's is saying is that they would like to come to Warsaw and things are tight and to throw additional requirements for modifying public streets as opposed to improving a parcel where they want to put their facility, they might need some help," Snyder said.

Snyder said Menard's, the developer, did not leave direct access to the parcels Martin's wants to develop other than through the Menard's parking lot and off Mariner Drive. He said that doesn't provide full access to the lots Martin's is requesting to develop on.

Snyder said there would need to be a curb cut onto Husky Trail.

Total real estate investments will include approximately $5,312,833; $1,145,200 in land improvement and site preparation; $183,513 for widening and improvements to Husky Trail and $3,984,120 for the construction of the supermarket.

"It's unfortunate that a lot of work that was done with regards to the site plan appears to now be undesirable and impossible for a normal development and that bothers me," Thallemer said.

He said he is concerned Menard's has not participated as well as it should have and now the city is being asked to pick up the mistake.

Thallemer said he was concerned if the council approved the lots to be an economic development target area, that would set a precedent for other commercial developers requesting abatements.

Bartels agreed with Thallemer that the development site has been a challenge.

"We have a road and a chunk of land, and I want to be the grocery store that's sitting on that property and serving the community," Bartels said.

Clemens, who also serves on the county's regional work force board, said he supported approving the lots as an economic development target area.

"I guarantee most every executive and city official would be chomping at the bit for another 180 jobs," Clemens said.

The council reviewed a letter from Wayne Luchenbill, Kosciusko Development Inc. chairman, supporting Martin's Supermarkets' request for a tax abatement.

In other business. the council approved a resolution to annex property owned by Roger Bair at 1305 W. Lake St., Warsaw.