Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - A public hearing was held on a tax abatement for Ridgestone Development at Tuesday’s Syracuse Council meeting.
The agenda shifted a bit as they waited for a council member so they could have a quorum as Bill Musser attended virtually and Larry Siegel was not present.
Prior to opening the public hearing, attorney Stephen Snyder reminded the council that back in 2021 Ridgestone Development was rehabbing the old Syracuse Elementary School, which was a success.
He said the school had a significant amount of vacant land — grassy area and an old parking lot and he said, “It makes sense to construct new buildings and add 42 more units and there’s no investment for the town.”
They’ve already obtained variances from the BZA but they’re still waiting for a variance from the drainage board because one building will be 59 feet from the drainage ditch and it’s supposed to be 75 feet. He said they’re seeking a 10-year tax abatement, and they’ve already designated it as an economic revitalization area. Snyder said they’re investing $3.5 million in three buildings. He admitted it’s not going to create a ton of jobs, it would create about three jobs, “But what it does create is 42 more housing units all two-bedroom, 1½ baths.” Snyder said anytime they talk to employers they say the housing shortage in town affects employment.
Snyder said Ridgestone also developed the old Polar Craft site, and it is 90% occupied with 200 employees and creating jobs creates the need for additional housing.
Marlin Schwartz, with Ridgestone, was present and he said there’s a waiting list for two-bedroom apartments at the old school. Snyder said they approved the preliminary resolution last month and now they’re asking for approval for the confirmatory resolution so they can begin construction Aug. 1 with anticipated completion in August 2027.
No one from the public had any comments so they closed the hearing and the council voted to approve the confirmatory resolution.
Schwartz thanked the council. “I appreciate how helpful you’ve been, it’s not like this everywhere,” he said.
Decision on CAPS
Grant & Trail Project
After months of discussion, on Tuesday Syracuse Council members finally agreed to use Community Amenities Program (CAP) grant funds on the trail project. Town Manager David Wilkinson told the council, “The deadline is now, the council has to make a decision tonight, we have to move forward on the CAP grant or lose it.”
The town was awarded $500,000 in CAP grant through the Orthopedic Industrial Retention Initiative (OIRI) and managed through the K21 Health Foundation. The CAP grant is a 50/50 match program. A special council meeting was held March 30 where engineers presented the council with several options because the original boardwalk trail was too expensive — the town’s match would have been over $2 million - although aesthetically that was the plan that members of the public and some council members preferred.
Wilkinson reminded the council of the town’s cost for each option. The second or middle option was a compromise — a cross between elevated boardwalk and sidewalks — it would have some elevated sections and the town’s match would be $860,000 and option three was at-grade sidewalk and the town’s match would be $377,000.
Wilkinson told the council, “My recommendation is if you want to go with option three to just not fund the project — it’s not much of an improvement, it would just extend the access road and be just a little wider sidewalk. My recommendation is the middle one, option two where part of the trail would be raised, particularly over the ditch.”
Councilman Paul Stoelting said, “The boardwalk has the best look, but unfortunately the expense is more than we can afford.” He asked Wilkinson if it could be done in stages and Wilkinson said that would increase the cost quite a bit.
Council President Cindy Kaiser said, “The trails are used a lot, and we’ve talked about enhancing The Village, but we want it to be safe. Option one would be wonderful, but the second one is probably the best.”
Wilkinson said he had the 2006 and 2017 comprehensive plans “and the conversations have been the same for over 20 years, and nothing has been done. We’ve talked about upgrades at The Village for years,” he said. “I’m trying to move the needles forward. Do we want some enhancements in the community or not?”
Councilman Nathan Scherer responded, “We want enhancements in the community, but the long-term maintenance cost of a true boardwalk is going to make a difference versus the hybrids we looked at — I’d go with option two.”
The council unanimously voted on moving forward with the CAP grant for the boardwalk trail project on the east side of Ind. 13 and the town’s match will be around $860,000.
Kaiser also asked about the stoplight project, which is also part of the comprehensive plan. They want to reduce the visual clutter of the wires in The Village, so they want to change out three stoplights to a cantilevered style like uptown with an estimated cost of $900,000.
Scherer wanted to see more options than galvanized so Wilkinson will bring more options at the May meeting.
Police & Public Works
Police Chief Jim Layne brought up the funds the town receives from the opioid settlement and wanted to have a fund set up for those funds to be deposited in and help offset the cost of the school resource officer and Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer. Scherer said he thought they decided to give those funds to the foundation to distribute.
Wilkinson said they did, but the foundation came back to them wanting the town to distribute the funds and do all the leg work. He said they get $5,000 a year and he wanted the council to approve past and future funds to go the SRO/DARE officer. Scherer wanted to approve the funds annually in case something else came to their attention that they would want to give the money to. Scherer also challenged Layne to meet with the SRO/DARE officer to see if there’s some other way to use the funds. Layne said he’d use it to fund the graduation ceremony and supplies but said he would do as Scherer asked. So, the vote was postponed.
In public works, Superintendent Mark Aurich said they’re losing their water foreman again, so he got three quotes and the quote from Services by Stouder, Hamilton at a cost of $16,350 for a six-month contract with a right to extend if needed. He said the town got a discount since they’re returning customers. The council approved the agreement.
Aurich also asked the council to approve $500,000 from capital improvement funds to replace filters at the water plant that process the town’s drinking water. He said he got a quote a year ago of $406,000. He told the council they’ll have Commonwealth Engineer help with the bidding process. He said they’ll wait till fall/winter to start the work but wanted to get their ducks in a row.
Scherer asked if there were other options and Aurick said there really weren’t. “Before we see the loss of water quality, it’s time,” he said.
The current filters have lasted 18 years. The council approved setting those funds aside.
CASA Presentation
Donna Boling-Scott, with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Kosciusko County, gave a presentation to the council because April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. She said in 2025 there were 15,055 reports of abuse and 89 children were removed from the home. CASA volunteers spent 5,300 hours of time and advocated for 215 children.
She said they have a big need for volunteers. She said they have 20 children in need of CASA support now. She told the council, “As a lifelong resident of Syracuse, I can say that Syracuse is one of the areas where we have the largest need for volunteers.”
Kaiser said as a former teacher she knows the need and thanked her for the work she does. Scherer said his wife is a trained CASA volunteer and he wanted the public to know it’s “very flexible, easier than she thought to get the flexibility she wanted and that the volunteers have some say in the type of cases they take.”
Boling-Scott agreed that it was true, and they generally ask for five to 10 hours a month. She said the next training session is in June and if people are interested, they can check out the website at https://casachildren.com.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the ordinance to continue the right to farm when annexed into town. Parcels of minimum size of 3.25 acres.
• Approved the ordinance to transfer $7,500 for parks from part time labor to contract services.
• Approved donating a small parcel of land next to the land the town has already donated to Syracuse Public Library for their use, so the town doesn’t have to maintain it.
• Approved accepting $8,500 from AZ Engineering for the Pearl Street parking lot.
• Approved accepting the town pier at Long Drive from the chamber of commerce. The town was already insuring the pier and maintaining it.
• Approved the purchase of a replacement helmet for fire department from Witmer Public Safety at a cost of $414.98.
• Approved ordinance fees if the town has to mow a property. The property owner would be billed for a minimum of two hours with cost including $108 for the employee’s labor and time, $200 for use of truck, $170 for tractor and $80 for hand-held equipment.
• Approved pay application #1 for CCMG at a cost of $543,793.30 to Phend & Brown.
• Read a proclamation declaring Arbor Day on April 24th.
An Arbor Day celebration will be Friday, April 24 from 1 to 2:30 pm at the Schrock Athletic Complex. The Lily Center for Lakes and Streams and Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District will be participating, as will some third-graders.
