MOUNT VERNON – The Municipal Planning Commission voted to recommend rezoning 12.5 acres of a parcel along Newark Road from Neighborhood Commercial to Planned Neighborhood Development (PND).
The acreage is the last section of a 102.6-acre tract owned by RJM Land Development. A PND called Liberty Crossing is planned for the site.
Gary Smith of HRD Land Fund of Columbus, the agent for the application, told the planning commissioners that this step was to get all the land zoned PND so that they can follow up with development plans for the entire project.
“Right now, we're working through some grading issues, making sure that we can get the site plan to work when we need it to, or make any modifications that we need,” he said, “so that when we come back to you, we have a plan that we know works and the city feels comfortable about the plan.”
Cooper Progress Park plan developed
The planning commissioners also recommended approval of a comprehensive development plan for Cooper Progress Park.
“Over the last several years, the process was put into place to gain ownership of this campus and then the plan has been in the works to create something so that we can convey particular parcels or these particular parcels and get employees back into those buildings and enrich our community,” said Zach DiMarco, with the Knox County Land Bank.
The plan sets up a property owners association comprised of building owners who would jointly manage and maintain common areas and utility lines leading to the buildings.
“The good news is with this comprehensive development plan, you don't really have to imagine what the space is going to be because, for the majority of what's out there, it's already built. The buildings exist [and] the roadways are already there,” he said.
Jeff Gottke, president of the Knox County Area Development Foundation, said the plan was the result of two years of work and thousands of dollars.
“We’re excited to present what we think will be an economic driver for the city of Mount Vernon as well as a scope for the property that will stand on its own over time,” he said.
The plan is an attempt to turn it into a multi-tenant industrial park for manufacturing and commercial uses that's also integrated into the community, Gottke said.
In public comment, Eric Helt told the planning commissioners the only organization that needs the property owners association is the Knox Land Bank so it can maintain common areas. He said the assessments for the members would not raise enough capital to maintain the utilities and other common area responsibilities.
He also questioned the Knox Land Bank’s ability to handle the project.
“This is too big a project for them. They’re not capitalized adequately. They're not staffed adequately for the scope of this and the age of the property,” Helt said.
Gottke responded by saying larger repairs and maintenance work can be funded through assessments and budgeted when needed.
“The Land Bank’s goal here is not to be the hand that controls this campus,” he said. “The Land Bank’s goal here is to deliver a multi-user commercial manufacturing industrial campus for the benefit of the community rather than sitting there vacant.”
