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Kosciusko planning board continues Site Works/CNE recycling and storage proposals pending technical reviews
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Summary
After detailed questions about drainage, sewer access and noise, the board continued three linked petitions from Site Works/CNE Excavating (a proposed expansion of outdoor storage and a new recycling operation) and asked staff to obtain reports from the county surveyor and state highway office before the May 12 meeting.
The Kosciusko County Planning Commission continued a set of interrelated petitions from Site Works (the former ERI property on State Road 15) after members pressed for more technical information about sewage, a county drain tile and noise from crushing operations.
Brandon Wood, who said he represents CNE Excavating (the operator leasing the north parcel), described the proposal as an expansion that would allow a mix of excavation equipment storage and a limited asphalt/concrete recycling operation on the southern portion of the site. "We were we have been in contact with Leesburg Sewer," Wood said, adding the recycling runs would be intermittent: "2 to 3 times a year for 2 to 3 weeks." He said the plan includes crushed stone surfacing and stormwater ponds sized to county requirements.
Board members and staff flagged outstanding technical issues. Commissioners asked the applicant to provide a site plan showing pile locations, decibel-specific noise reports and written comments from the county surveyor about the condition of an old clay drain tile that runs through the back of the property. Planning staff said the health department had raised concerns about septic and that Leesburg sewer discussions were at an application stage but not yet permitted.
The applicant offered noise-monitoring reports from machines used at other locations and said the recycling operation would not be continuous. "The recycling would only run 2 to 3 times a year or 2 to 3 weeks at a time," a representative said. Commissioners said the existing drain tile and ingress/egress on State Road 15 (an INDOT concern) required clearer documentation before any approvals.
On a motion from a commissioner, the board voted to continue all three petitions and asked staff to secure: a written statement or report from the county surveyor about the tile; any relevant INDOT or state-highway traffic guidance on the proposed entrance; clarification from the health department on sewage or sewer-connection feasibility; and site-specific noise-monitoring data tied to the exact pile locations. The petitions were rescheduled for the commission's May 12 meeting.
Because the petitions are linked (exception for commercial use, a variance to allow a residence and business on one tract, and a variance to expand outdoor storage), the board said it needed the full technical packet before taking separate votes on any element.
