Zoning change clears way for apartments

Chester Heights Apartments turned away 31 qualified tenants during November, owner Jake Powers told Richmond Common Council members Dec. 2, because there simply were no units available to rent.

Despite adding 96 units just a few years ago, the complex along Chester Boulevard needs more units to meet demand. Powers of Powers Property Investment LLC reached an agreement with Richmond Parks and Recreation Department to purchase Berryfield Park, where he plans to construct three buildings and 72 new units. To do so, however, he needed council to approve rezoning Berryfield Park for multi-family housing.

“Those new units were completely leased before we opened the front doors, and I think with you guys’ approval the same will hold true for these 72 units,” Powers said to council members. “I think it’s a very positive step in the right direction.” 

Council did approve the new zoning with a 9-0 vote. The Richmond Advisory Plan Commission had voted 7-0 on Nov. 20 to recommend approval of Powers’ zoning petition, and city planning staff also recommended approval.

Eight people spoke in favor of the zoning change, citing additional housing options as a Richmond need. Several also touted the work Powers, a Richmond native, has done creating safe, attractive housing at Chester Heights. Although several neighbors opposed the rezoning during plan commission’s meeting, none addressed council during its public hearing.

Dakota Collins, a member of the city’s parks board, said the parks master plan identified Berryfield Park as a property that should be sold, saving the parks department the time and money of maintaining a lesser-used park. Proceeds from the sale will be invested toward improvements at Middlefork Reservoir, the closest city park to Berryfield.

“We believe that Jake and Chester Heights will put this property to its best use for the Richmond community,” Collins said.

Blue Buffalo bonds

Council heard an explanation of an ordinance on first reading that would provide taxable economic development revenue bonds for a Blue Buffalo expansion.

The company is building a 169,000-square-foot expansion and purchasing additional equipment. On March 23, 2023, Gov. Eric Holcomb participated in a ground-breaking ceremony for the $200 million project that is expected to create at least 50 new jobs. 

To help attract the Blue Buffalo plant to West Industries Road in 2016, the city issued $28,619,000 in bonds, which have a remaining principal of $20,229,911. The ordinance would restructure $19,928,285 from that remaining principal and issue an additional $16,215,000.

Blue Buffalo would follow a repayment schedule using new tax dollars the expansion generates to repay the bonds. The anticipated final payoff date is Aug.1, 2037, although the proposed maturity date is Feb. 1, 2041.

The Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County must conduct a public hearing on the bond proposal prior to the ordinance’s return to council for second reading. At that time, council also will conduct a public hearing.

Hero honored

Shane Carico received an award for saving a life Nov. 6. 

Richmond Police Chief Kyle Weatherly and Officer Chris Cooper presented Carico a plaque for pulling a distressed person off a bridge railing. Cooper arrived on the call and found Carico sitting with the person. He learned from a bystander that Carico originally attempted to help the person walking down the street, but was cursed and told to leave.

As he began to drive away, however, Carico saw the person on the railing, stopped and pulled the person from the railing. Cooper’s nominating letter said that Carico is a “prime example of the great citizens of Richmond.”

City building hours

Some council members struggled to gain entry to the Richmond Municipal Building ahead of the meeting.

That occurred because of a miscommunication, but also because of a change in hours for RPD’s information desk. The information desk — and the building’s doors — will now close at 5:30 p.m., except for evenings when public meetings occur.

Weatherly said a change to online incident reporting has drastically decreased the number of nonemergent calls answered by the second-shift information clerk. That clerk’s schedule has been adjusted for better efficiency.

Normal hours will now be 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Other business

• Council passed a resolution that extends the Richmond Urban Enterprise Zone for five more years. The zone covers downtown, the Depot District and the Starr neighborhood and provides tax incentives to businesses. The Urban Enterprise Association promotes the businesses, funds the Meltdown festival, and provides instruction on areas such as self-defense, technology and developing YouTube videos or podcasts.
• An interlocal agreement that accepts Wayne County’s contribution of $1.4 million toward the Test Road trail head portion of the Whitewater Gorge Park activation plan was approved by council. The county committed the money as part of the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program.
• Council approved Richmond Sanitary District pursuing a $750,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to help pay for completion of the levee around the wastewater treatment facility. Pat Smoker, the sanitary district supervisor, said that without a finished levee, an extreme storm could cause water to invade the plant, destroying equipment and halting treatment operations for up to two months.
• A housekeeping ordinance to establish contributions from departments to the city budget’s general fund for employee salaries was unanimously approved.
• An additional appropriation of $111,969.14 was approved to cover increased insurance costs, including $86,955.64 for property and liability and $25,013.50 for worker’s compensation insurance this year.