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Area plan commission backs rezoning for McKinley Highway site after neighbor raises noise, privacy concerns
Summary
The Saint Joseph County Area Plan Commission voted to forward APC 3053-24 to county council with a favorable recommendation for rezoning a vacant 3.73-acre parcel on McKinley Highway to C Commercial. Staff cited traffic counts, utilities access and screening; a nearby resident voiced concerns about noise and backyard impacts.
The Saint Joseph County Area Plan Commission voted Oct. 15 to forward APC 3053-24 to the County Council with a favorable recommendation to rezone a roughly 3.73‑acre vacant parcel on McKinley Highway from R Single Family to C Commercial.
Area plan staff presented a site plan showing a proposed 20,000‑square‑foot, one‑story building, roughly 100 parking spaces and setbacks that meet the C Commercial district’s heightened buffers for properties adjacent to single‑family zoning. Staff said the parcel would connect to Mishawaka Sewer and Water Services and pointed to an average daily traffic count of 14,434 vehicles on that section of McKinley Highway as support for a commercial use. Staff recommended forwarding the petition to the county council with a favorable recommendation.
At a public comment period, adjacent homeowner Rhonda Longley said the building’s proposed rear loading dock and vehicle activity would abut her backyard and bedroom window and raised noise and privacy concerns, saying the operation ‘‘is going to be reversing into that loading dock in the morning going right up to my bedroom window.’’ Staff and the petitioner responded that the plan includes double‑staggered evergreen screening (four evergreens per 30 feet of lot line), that existing trees will be retained where possible, and that the applicant expects only 3–5 delivery trucks per week; the petitioner also said many service vehicles are taken home by employees rather than stored overnight at the site.
Commission discussion focused on frontage and setback standards and tree buffering. Commissioners asked whether existing pines would remain; staff said a final answer depends on a boundary survey but reiterated the proposed evergreen buffer. Commissioner Robert Krasinski moved to send the rezoning to the County Council with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed on a roll‑call of six "yes" votes.
Next steps: the item will appear before the St. Joseph County Council for final action.
