<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1VOR5l_1GzdxvvE00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1VOR5l_1GzdxvvE00" width="1500" height="1125" ><figcaption>Pictured (L to R) are Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals member John Beer, BZA member Kevin McSherry, Area Plan Director Matt Sandy, BZA Chairman Lee Harman and BZA member Dan Richard.</figcaption></figure>The Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals approved an exception for a Nappanee-based business and required them to rezone to an Industrial-2 district during a meeting Tuesday.At the board's October meeting, Ryan Miller, president and CEO of PWI, requested an exception to allow the expansion of the business through construction of a new overall 200,000-square-foot building, with an office, in an agricultural district. The proposed structure would be on the north side of CR 1000N and south of CR 1050N, Nappanee. During that meeting, Ryan said PWI was experiencing "an explosion of growth," outsourcing work out of the county in order to keep up with demand. Currently, the business has around 240 employees and "partners with manufacturers to deliver innovative solutions that address complex material handling challenges," according to PWI's website.In October, the board continued PWI's request to their November meeting after receiving several complaints from neighbors, including Elmer Miller and Wilbur Troyer. Elmer Miller and Troyer were both present at the November BZA meeting to again voice their opposition to PWI's request.Prior to hearing statements from remonstrators, Ryan presented his request to the board, stating that after the October meeting, he met with the neighbors who had concerns. Area Plan Director Matt Sandy provided the board with a synopsis of that meeting from PWI as well as statements of remonstrance from neighbors, which also included two additional letters from Josh George and James Blessing.Ryan said PWI moving to an industrial park has been seriously considered but is committed to where they're currently located and wants to stay on one campus, noting millions of dollars in investment to the area."I'll be honest, a lot is riding on this today for us," said Ryan. "We just came out of three days of meetings last week ... there's a lot of people depending on us to do the work they've entrusted us to do, not just the owners of our company, but to the hundreds of families that this represents that work right there."Ryan said they work with companies throughout the country and hope to work with local organizations like Slate Auto as they open."These customers are demanding that we grow, they're begging us to grow," said Ryan.Ryan told the board he asked the neighbors in remonstrance to the exception what their top three concerns were about the request. He said PWI offered Elmer and Troyer double the acreage they currently own, with at least an 80% discount of what they paid for the land."I'll admit it's been extremely difficult to work with these two families over the past few weeks," said Ryan. "We felt like we were bending over backward to pretty much make that happen, gifting them extra acres to give them extra space and more privacy. Instead, they were not happy with that whatsoever and they're now demanding 19 acres from us."Elmer noted there was no one present in support of PWI's request, stating he wished the business could grow in an industrial park. He told the board the reason they didn't like the land offer was because he would be responsible for maintaining a privacy mound between his and PWI's land."They gave me a good discount, but what's going to keep them from going with a commercial building on each side of me?" asked Elmer. "I was there before PWI was anywhere close. And it's not just me that's affected by this. I get they want to grow, but I wish it could be in an industrial park."Troyer expressed concerns with flooding and how an additional building would affect that."What's to keep them from building 100 feet from my house?" asked Troyer.In response to Elmer and Troyer's comments, Ryan said he wanted to know about any water or flooding issues and that a third-party surveyor could be brought in to investigate those issues.Board member Kevin McSherry asked if the privacy mound would be on PWI or local residents to maintain. Sandy said the site plan for the project showed it would be on PWI to maintain it."The board has really struggled with this," said BZA Chairman Lee Harman. "This is one of the top issues that has been a no-win situation no matter where we go with this to somebody. Cases like this ... maybe the common good outweighs minority good. We have 240 people employed. It'd be interesting to know how many of them want this to stay as is, and if they were to move, how many of those people would be affected in a negative way. I do think that it would be incumbent that they (PWI) do seek I-2 zoning."Harman said if PWI were to move, the buildings would stay there and "who knows what would go in there." McSherry also noted there wouldn't be a lender to help a new business go in there with how it's currently zoned.The board approved PWI's request in a 3-1 vote, with BZA member Dan Richard voting against it. Hearing Officer Randy Cox was absent. PWI has two months to get rezoned."I consistently would comment and put in my staff comments negatively to this as it was growing," said Richard on when he formerly served as Area Plan director. "We've let this happen, the board has let this happen. But I feel like I would be a hypocrite against all the things I've said in the past if I voted for this, so that's my nay."</div></body>

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The Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals approved an exception for a Nappanee-based business and required them to rezone to an Industrial-2 district during a meeting Tuesday. At the board's October meeting, Ryan Miller, president and CEO of PWI, requested an exception to allow the expansion of the business through...

BZA Approves Exception For New Building At Nappanee-Based Business

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The Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals approved an exception for a Nappanee-based business and required them to rezone to an Industrial-2 district du

BZA Approves Exception For New Building At Nappanee-Based Business

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