Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Joseph County Plat Committee approves 51‑lot Ranch subdivision, OKs Evans Major and other items
Summary
The Plat Committee approved primary approval for the Ranch subdivision (51 lots on 47.45 acres) after staff and petitioners described elevation and LOMA plans for a mapped floodplain area. The committee also approved Evans Major (subject to lot‑line adjustments), tabled Weidicker/Bellman, and granted waivers for Bittersweet Trail Minor.
The St. Joseph County Plat Committee voted Aug. 15, 2024, to grant primary approval to the Ranch subdivision, a 47.45‑acre development that will be divided into 51 building lots and one outlot. Committee staff said a portion of the site appears to fall within a mapped floodplain, and members emphasized permits and elevation certifications will be required before construction.
Carl Brown Grama, Area Planning Commission staff, said the subdivision is located on the south side of Adams Road about 2,150 feet west of Ash Road and that "a portion of the property appears to be located in the floodplain per Indiana DNR best available data." Grama told the committee the county surveyor, county engineer and county health department recommend approval and staff advised granting primary approval pending the health department's concurrence.
Petitioner Chris Gadluwski, representing Avon Marsh, told the committee the project team has addressed septic and drainage issues and has obtained a front‑setback variance. In question-and-answer with the committee, Steve Ruby of Marsh Consulting said the project is planning to raise the roadway and that "the homes right now ... are elevating, I think, approximately 6 plus feet" above anticipated flood elevations; he also said the cluster septic will direct flows to the northeast corner of the site. The committee's Floodplain Administrator cautioned that any work in the mapped floodplain must be delineated and permitted, stating, "I would need that area marked, delineated before any work begins."
After a brief public hearing with no speakers for or against the Ranch subdivision, the committee voted to approve primary approval. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript; the chair announced the motion carried.
The committee next considered Evans Major, a one‑lot major subdivision at the western end of Elston Drive. Sean Klein, Area Plan Commission staff, said the parcel has no environmental hazards or wetlands and will be served by a private well and septic. Staff recommended approval "subject to adjustments of the lot line measurements on the plat drawing as requested by staff." Petitioner Chris Katheuski of Avon Marsh described the subdivision as straightforward, noting the major designation stems from right‑of‑way dedication for a cul‑de‑sac. With no public comment, the committee approved Evans Major conditional on the lot‑line corrections requested by staff.
The committee voted to table the Weidicker/Bellman minor subdivision indefinitely after staff recommended that action. The committee also granted requested waivers and approved the Bittersweet Trail Minor subdivision. Members approved minutes from the Aug. 1, 2024, Plat Committee meeting and then adjourned.
Next steps for the Ranch subdivision include required floodplain permitting and elevation certificates or a LOMA (letter of map amendment) as applicable, and the Evans Major approval is conditional on the plat adjustments staff identified. No appeals, remonstrances or additional public testimony were recorded in the meeting transcript.
