***********************************************UPDATE*********************************************
The Jeffersonville Planning Commission by a 5-1 vote rejected the recommendation to rezone the parcel by GCCS.
The Rezoning decision now goes to the Jeffersonville City council to be voted on next month.
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Both sides of the GCCS bus depot controversy are firing their last salvos and campaigning in front of Tuesday night's Mar. 22 meeting of the Zoning Commission/ City council vote to rezone the Clark Co. Car Auction property. Rezoning is necessary for GCCS to purchase the property and convert it to a repair and parking facility for Greater Clark's school buses.
Superintendent Melin has held open house at the proposed facility, exchanged opposing guest columnist letters to the editor with the Jeffersonville Zoning director and in a desperation move asked teachers and staff from GCCS to sign a form letter urging rezoning to be sent to City council... Melin asked the letters be returned to him to be sent...presumably so he would know which staff members support him and who doesn't .... which seems like a little political blackmail.
On the opposing side Mayor Mike Moore has made a video with residents opposed to the bus depot and his Planning and Zoning director Nathan Pruitt has come up with detailed blueprint for alternative development of the property in question...The lines are drawn...
The BatBlog has stated it's opposition to the bus depot but also wonders why Supt. Melin doesn't stick with education what he was hired for. Leave the politics and the city planning to the politicians and city leaders. His first attempt at politics was a dismal failure trying to sell the GCCS referendum to a leery public and after Tuesday he SHOULD be 0 for 2....
No brainer. It's not a good idea. Melin and the school board need to focus on their own jobs of trying to improve the education system.
ReplyDeleteA lot of time and money has been spent on both sides trying to convince the council. It should be an easy vote as the sentiment seems to be a poor decision by Melin
ReplyDeleteIf the bus station is allowed you can forget about any future attractive development in that area. No business will want to build there.
ReplyDeleteWhether it is a good idea or a bad idea, the school district does NOT have the money to spend on this. Melin told everyone for months what poor condition our school buildings were in and never mentioned the bus compound once. He should make sure the school buildings are up to par before ever spending a dime on a bus depot (or radio station or football field, etc. etc.)
ReplyDeleteHoping the zoning change is not allowed. Spending $4 million on a bus parking lot is one (stupid) thing... but putting it right in the heart of a 10th street revitalization project is another.
ReplyDeleteAll good comments... I have to believe this thing is dead as public opinion it appears is running against the move....but stranger things have happened .It will be interesting if political differences will play into the council's vote...
ReplyDeleteThere is a 10th St widening project. What is the 10th St revitalization project? Any new businesses on the way?
ReplyDeleteAre there plans to move the new police and fire stations so those 10th St. properties are put back on the tax rolls? If not, why are those insitutional uses that include vehicle storage appropriate but a school bus depot is not?
What taxing entities other than the TIF will lose money by the auto auction being tax-exempt?
"Are there plans to move the new police and fire stations so those 10th St. properties are put back on the tax rolls? If not, why are those institutional uses that include vehicle storage appropriate but a school bus depot is not? "
ReplyDeleteBecause Fire Houses and Police Stations are positioned for EMERGENCY response times.
duh... Bus depots are not.
revitalization- to impart new life or vigor
ReplyDeletethe 10th street widening project is intending to do just that!
a bus parking lot should be in another, less noticed area.
Zoning board vote was 5 to 1 to NOT recommend a zoning change. Now goes to the City Council.
ReplyDeleteTime for Melin and the Board to wake up and stop wasting taxpayer dollars.
Who is responsible for the site cleanup of the Auto Auction? IF GCCS is allowed to move to the old Auto Auction site, who is responsible for their bus depot cleanup?
ReplyDeleteIf 10th St. is too congested for buses to come out of a depot, and I'm not saying it is, that's just one of the points that has been made against the relocation, it wouldn't figure that it is a good location for response times or especially safe for emergency vehicles to fly down.
ReplyDeleteon eGIS it shows the city owns part of the property already.
ReplyDeletehttp://egis.39dn.com/egisv4/View/egisprc.cfm?pin_18=10-19-01-000-556.000-010
The parcel that still shows owned by Fetter properties is only assessed at $448200
http://egis.39dn.com/egisv4/View/egisprc.cfm?pin_18=10-19-01-000-534.000-010