By Nate Smith
The city took its first step toward changing the old Tokheim building into affordable housing Wednesday.
The Washington Plan Commission voted 8-0 at its monthly meeting to change the building’s zoning, at 227 Front St., from industrial to residential.
Mayor Larry Haag and Andy Myszak with Myszak and Palmer Architects explained to commission members the neighborhood stabilization program project at the 10.62 acre-factory site. The two said the transformation would start with 20 homes around the Tokheim plant that would be rebuilt or renovated.
“They are going to be very nice, affordable homes,” Myszak said.
In January, the city won a $4.1 million grant from the federal government to revitalize the neighborhood. Haag said the Tokheim building has not been purchased yet, and asked for the rezoning to be conditional on the sale.
He said he is awaiting a final contract for the grant to be official. A holding company in Fort Wayne holds the deed to the building.
But the grant does not cover building the planned multi-family units on the property, only the building and the infrastructure. Haag said the city is pursuing an additional $4.7 million in federal tax credits to build the 30 new multi-family units where the factory currently sits.
“If nothing else happens, 20 single-family homes get built and Tokheim gets torn down.” Haag said.
All of the homes will be federally subsidized, meaning that potential homeowners will be able to get federal assistance for loans, but they have to meet income requirements and take financial planning classes. Also planned is a revolving loan fund for future projects.
“The people that buy these houses have to have income,” Myszak said. “Once you get those homes established, you start to see the neighborhood lighten up.”
An additional 10 lots will also be on the Tokheim lot and there could be homes built there in the future. Building Commissioner Chris Wimmenauer said there are 24 homes in the Tokheim neighborhood that could be eligible for rehabilitation. Federal requirements say they have to be homes that are abandoned or foreclosed.
“In that area, there are a lot of vacant properties,” Wimmenauer said. “I can tell which houses have not been occupied for some time. There are some that are basically abandoned.”
Neighbors of the building were in attendance, mainly to hear more about the project. One resident, Keith Ellis, sent a letter in opposition to the zoning, giving reasons that there has not been any environmental studies done on the property, the potential of lowering property values due to a “low-income, government-run housing project,” an influx of low-cost homes in the city already and narrow streets in the area.
“As a community-owned green zone full of shade trees and light-enjoyment areas for children, parents and grandparents, the property would enhance residential values on Washington’s West End, just as Eastside Park has done for the east end,” Ellis wrote.
Haag countered Ellis’ letter by saying that an environmental study was completed in 2001 and a future study will be done when the sale goes through. Other commission members, after hearing the presentation, refuted Ellis’ statements.
“I think Mr. Ellis is incorrect in calling it low-income government-run housing,” member Roger Gillingham said.
The rezoning request now goes to the City Council for approval. Commission members Steve Dyer, Ed Barnett and Dan Gress were absent.
In other business
COMMERCIAL
REZONING
Lengacher Development asked the commission to rezone 2424 E. Nat’l Hwy. from commercial to residential. Ray Lengacher with the company asked for the change for future development. He also asked that part of the lot remain commercial for storage buildings.
“I don’t have any plans on developing it,” Lengacher said. “The main thing I want it rezoned now is to make a rental house out (there).”
Neighbors to Lengacher’s lot had questions about drainage and the potential for a subdivision.
But because Lengacher originally asked for only the residential change and not for a portion to be commercial, the commission asked him to withdraw his request and resubmit it.
SUBDIVISIONS
Wimmenauer asked the commission to have some communication with the county on roads for subdivisions. He said there have been several subdivisions that have substandard roads originally built in the county and later they ask to be annexed into the city.
The board asked attorney Jeff Norris to look into the matter.
