Mishawaka Common Council postpones vote on Menards rezoning request

NOW: Mishawaka Common Council postpones vote on Menards rezoning request
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MISHAWAKA, Ind. — People living near Cleveland and Gumwood Road in Mishawaka protested in front of the city hall on Monday against a hardware store’s plan to move from Main and University Drive to Cleveland Road. 

The group expressed frustration with the Mishawaka Common Council and developers planning to relocate a Menards in town. One woman claimed the council and developers surprised residents with the plan at a public meeting held last week. 

“We just want everyone to know that there are a lot of us that are concerned about what’s going in there,” said Doris Collins, protest organizer. “We need to be heard and we need them to tell us more.”

The Mishawaka Common Council voted to postpone the vote for a zoning change developers of a Menards are seeking to add an outside storage unit. However, public said they have several concerns including traffic and safety.

“We to heard loud and clear that traffic and safety seem to be the biggest concerns of home owners and that’s really going to be our focus over the next month,” said Brian McMorrow, with Abonmarche Consultants. 

Abonmarche Consultants is representing Great Lakes Capital, which owns the lot on Gumwood and Cleveland Road. GLC wants to build retail, restaurants, office and residential spaces in the area. 

According to city code, a hardware store is permitted to be built in the lot. But neighbors like Margaret Filcheck said the hardware store is not a good fit for the neighborhood. 

“When you have a lumber yard going in there with the semi’s coming in and out it kind of destroys the idea of an urban village,” said Filcheck. 

On Monday, there was confusion from the public on how answers to their concerns will be share before the next meeting on Tuesday, September 3. There aren’t any plans for another public meeting, according to the council and developers. 

The council said it’s up to the developer to release the updated plans before the next meeting so they can share the information to the public. 

According to the city planner, if the council does not vote on the zoning change, the favorable vote from the Mishawaka Area Plan Commission will allow developers to move forward with the project n

“It makes me disappointed in politicians and it makes me suspicious,” said Filcheck. 

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