Hobart City Council approved a zoning change Wednesday that would pave the way for construction of a building consisting of offices and warehouses that was described as an incubator for small businesses.
The council voted 7-0 to rezone a 14-acre parcel south of U.S. 30 near Clay Street to planned business park, as requested by developer Jim Sapp of Rise Commercial Districts.
The zone change received as favorable recommendation from the plan commission earlier this month, but still needs to go through the regulatory process before the proposal itself receives final approval.
Sapp told the commission that the building would house about 125 tenants, most of whom would solely rent warehouse space. Others would have a small office in front and a warehouse in back. He said the tenants would typically stay only stay for a year or two, then, once established, would move on to their own site.
Businesses will have a total of about 400 employees, but they wouldn’t be at the site daily, according to Sapp, who has already built around 10 of these incubators around the state.
He told the commission that employees would go to the warehouse, get their parts and leave.
Sapp said the building would draw about 100 vehicles a day, mostly UPS and FedEx trucks bringing supplies. There would be no consumers visiting the site.
Councilman Dave Vinzant, D-4th, who sits on the plan commission, said he wasn’t in favor of the project until he heard Sapp’s presentation at the plan commission meeting.
“It’s kind of exciting,” Vinzant said.
He said the typical tenant is a startup business that needs a small office and small warehouse space.
“It’s very controlled and regulated,” Vinzant said, adding, “it fits in well with what we’re trying to do.”
City planner Ross Pietrzak said the proposal makes sense for the property, which is zoned industrial.
In other matters, the council adopted a sewer use ordinance that impacts restaurants and other businesses and organizations that make and sell food on-site and are located within the Hobart Sanitary District. The ordinance sets rules and a $125 fee for a 2-year permit.
The ordinance puts the sanitary district in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirement that it have a pretreatment program, ensuring that it’s working to keep fats, oil and grease out of its sanitary sewer lines.
“Hopefully, this will relieve some backups in basements,” Councilman Josh Huddlestun, D-2nd, said.
The council again tabled action on amending its golf cart ordinance when more concerns was raised over where the golf carts, side-by-sides and other types of typically off-road vehicles can go.
The current ordinance states the vehicles can’t be driven on state highways, citing state law, but Huddlestun said other communities in the state have made exceptions to that rule on state roads. He said the current ordinance doesn’t allow golf carts and other vehicles on Indiana 51, which means residents couldn’t take them to the downtown businesses.
“The goal is to get them to the downtown,” Huddlestun said.
City Attorney Heather McCarthy said most exceptions are on state roads with speed limits that go up to 35 mph.
Vinzant said he can see these vehicles on residential streets, but not on 61st Avenue, portions of Indiana 51 and Cleveland Avenue, all of which he said are thoroughfares. He said some have significant truck traffic.
“I don’t see golf carts mixed in with heavy traffic on 61st Avenue,” Vinzant said.
Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
