The Pulaski County Commissioners intend to enter into discussions with the Town of Winamac following a failure to rezone the former Pleasant View Rest Home.
The issue was brought forward several weeks ago when Pulaski County CDC Executive Director Nathan Origer advised the Commissioners any future use of the site was likely to be multi-family residential.
The Commissioners agreed to request a rezoning from the site’s current Industrial zoning to R-2 multi-family residential. Origer says, however, the Winamac Plan Commission objected to certain aspects of the request.
“I would say that none of the opponents were 100-percent against it,” says Origer. “They just all had concerns, particularly about spot zoning. I explained to them that in the state of Indiana, spot zoning is not illegal per say and under the unique historical circumstances, it seemed to be the best option for us.”
The County Home, as it’s referred to, ceased operations for myriad reasons including construction costs and ADA compliance. The decision to close was considered contentious while discussions were ongoing.
Origer says he is being advised that not rezoning the land will make it more difficult to sell to quick cash home buyers in the US.
“I mean, we all know that it needs quite a bit of work as it is,” says Origer. “It is not setup for industrial purposes.”
If it is rezoned residential, Origer communicated the thoughts of one Plan Commission member, saying it could not be used as a County Annex.
Rezoning the County Home property, however, could take it out of the running for future industrial development. The Commissioners agreed to schedule a meeting with Winamac officials to further discuss the matter.
