Planning commission approves Chippewa Place final plat after long title cleanup

The Wabash City Planning Commission voted to approve the final plat for Chippewa Place after attorneys for the developer said all property owners have now signed consent documents needed to finalize the subdivision.

Jack Bence, attorney with Bears and Mallards LLC representing Bigs Indiana Properties LLC, told the commission the developer had worked with staff and owners to resolve outstanding issues and was seeking approval of a secondary (final) plat consistent with the previously approved primary plat. "It's been a long road to get here and we appreciate all of your patience," Bence said, adding that all owner signatures are now in place and that Bigs Indiana Properties was prepared to move forward.

Commissioners and staff described the development's complicated history: multiple earlier developers, a bankruptcy, and problematic horizontal condominium paperwork that made financing difficult for unit owners. City staff and commissioners thanked Doug Lehman and Jeff Niehaus for helping to shepherd the cleanup. One commissioner summarized the sentiment: the community and owners appear pleased to see someone taking responsibility to complete the project.

A motion to approve the final plat was made and seconded. The clerk polled members by name; the motion passed with five affirmative votes out of seven commissioners present. The chair congratulated the developer and noted the commission had "got five out of seven." Signatures were gathered on the necessary documents following the vote.

The action is procedural final-plat approval consistent with an earlier primary plat; no changes to the approved primary plat were reported at the hearing. The commission's approval allows the developer and property owners to move forward with the recorded lot configuration and subsequent building or sale activity governed by city permits and the applicable subdivision regulations.