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By approving a preliminary and final plat for phase II of the Warsaw Technology Park, along with a separate resolution Monday night, the Warsaw Plan Commission helped move the Autocam Medical development forward a little more.
Monday, City Planner Justin Taylor presented the preliminary and final plat for Warsaw Technology Park phase II from applicant Warsaw Redevelopment Commission. The 72.43 acres to be subdivided is in an Industrial-2 zoning district at the northeast corner of CR 200W and U.S. 30, with Polk Drive bisecting the property.
The plat creates four lots, he said. Lot 1 encompasses 0.22 acres and is designated for the existing sanitary sewer lift station. An ingress/egress easement extends into lot 2, providing access to the newly created parcel as well.
Lots 2 and 3, measuring 15 and 18.25 acres, respectively, are designated for future development. Outlot 1, which is 35.65 acres, includes a significant wetlands area and the proposed plat includes essential storm and sanitary easements to manage water runoff and wastewater, Taylor stated.
He said the Planning Department recommended that the Plan Commission grant preliminary and final approval.
Commission member Jeff Owens asked who the current owner of the parcels was.
Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner responded that the Redevelopment Commission owns them.
When Owens asked if the lots were before the Plan Commission Monday because there was a potential “suitor” for them, Skinner responded, “Yeah, we have entered into a development agreement with Autocam Medical to take ownership of the 15 acres on Polk Drive, 200 and U.S. 30.”
Skinner said they’re moving along with the project.
“I’m sure a lot of you have see it in the paper. Autocam Medical is going to build a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility there and employ up to 300 people and plan on investing around $70 million in the project, so we’re excited to get it going,” he said.
Commission member Dave Baumgartner asked when they were going to start building the facility. Skinner said they were planning to start yet this year, it’ll take 12 to 16 months to build and Autocam Medical hopes to be operating by sometime in 2026.
Later in the meeting, the commission was presented with a resolution approving the Redevelopment Commission’s approval of “re-upping, more or less, the time frame of the TIF district that encompasses the Technology Park, the property that we acquired,” Skinner explained, pointing to the area on the map of the plat that is involved in the resolution. “So it’s more or less already in the TIF (tax increment financing) district, but because of the Autocam project, we are basically reissuing it into the TIF district, and that will give it a longer lifespan than it currently has.”
He said when they purchased the property in 2013, shortly after that it was annexed in and a TIF was created, not knowing what the timeframe for development would be.
“Obviously, it’s been a few years since that timeframe, but wanting to make sure we maximize the projects that we’re getting out of the Technology Park and the TIFs and the money that goes into developing that property, this amendment is basically reissuing the timeframe of that TIF within that property only. It is not affecting any of the other TIF,” Skinner said.
Owens asked if the resolution is an “important domino” to complete the Autocam transaction, and Skinner said yes. Baumgartner had several questions about TIFs and how they work.
“We spent roughly $5 million developing this technology park, and that money came from the TIF. Without the TIF, there wouldn’t be $5 million to build the park. That $5 million investment has generated $50 million worth of new construction. So that’s the goal of TIFs, to take that increment, invest it in that area to create greater profit and greater growth within a community,” Skinner explained. “When this TIF expires, and this is the key takeaway, this is the part that a lot of people struggle with - all TIF districts expire - when this TIF district expires, it’ll be like dumping $250 million of new assessed value onto the entire city that, in the beginning stages, was like $0. Had zero impact. So the investment that we made in these TIF districts has a huge impact on the entire city, if we do it right.”
After some further discussion about TIFs, the commission unanimously approved the resolution. The city council and Redevelopment Commission must also approve similar resolutions.
The Redevelopment Commission also was the applicant for the preliminary and final plats for the subdivision of 5.44 acres into two lots in a Commercial-2 zoning district at the northwest corner of Ind. 15 and Prairie Street (the former Marsh property).
Taylor said lot 1 encompasses 0.48 acres and is designated for future development. He said it meets the requirements for a C-2 zoning district. Outlot 1 is 4.96 acres and contains an existing structure and includes easements for ingress/egress and drainage utilities.
He said it was the opinion of the Planning Department that the commission should approve the plats.
Skinner said he’s working on two purchases agreements, one for the outlot and one for the small lot.
“So we’re working on two purchase agreements for both. I’m hoping to be able to present them in the next couple of weeks, but I have to get them completed and both parties to agree to them. So there will be more to come shortly,” he said.
Ewert Developments LLC is looking to put a Scooter’s Coffee franchise on the smaller lot. Warsaw Antique Mall is looking to purchase the larger lot with the Marsh building.
Councilman Juergen Voss asked if there was any possibility there could be another outlot or two on the property.
“Potentially, but I’ll tell you, I’m not platting outlots. I know that’s been asked of me multiple times. It is better for us, in this case, to let the private market develop those lots than for us to subdivide and create lots that may or may not meet anybody’s need and then have to deal with going back and adjusting lots and trying to get property,” Skinner said. “So, hopefully, there is a market for it and the buyer of the larger tract can find potential clients to market that to and put other outlots out there. But it is better suited for them to do that than it is for the city to try to play developer.”
The commission approved the plats.
Under old business, Taylor brought up the proposed changes to the city’s zoning code regarding the enforcement process for sign violations in the public right-of-way that had been tabled by the commission at their June meeting.
“What this does, this change would lessen the ambiguity with code enforcement and their ability to remove signs that are either a nuisance or a safety hazard in the right-of-way without first putting a sticker on it or escalating through those channels. It just makes it very clear that we are able to go and remove those,” he said.
Commission member Max Maile asked what kind of signs was the zoning code amendments referring to.
“They are temporary signs that are put out in the right-of-way, so it’s not targeted at permanent signs,” Taylor said.
Keeven said it’s more focused on being in the right-of-way than the type of sign. Taylor said the city ordinances already state that no sign is to be put in the public right-of-way. “This just makes it very clear that there are procedures for code enforcement under the sign ordinance that they can just be removed so that the public knows that’s the case,” Taylor said.
The Plan Commission unanimously approved to send a favorable recommendation to the city council on the zoning ordinance amendment.
In other business:
• A recommendation to the city council regarding changes to the provisions in the city’s zoning code on the permitted uses for parking garages and lots was tabled for a second month for further study. They also had been tabled by the Plan Commission to Monday’s meeting from the June meeting.
• Warsaw Mayor Jeff Grose gave the oath of office to new commission member Max Maile. Maile replaces the late Jim Gast and his term runs through Dec. 31, 2028.
