A Goshen manufacturer has asked a judge to review a city council decision regarding a $31 million workforce housing project located on the former Western Rubber site.
The mixed-use project, proposed by developer Anderson Partners, would contain about 136 apartments — the vast majority of which would retail for $900 to $1,400 a month, with a portion set aside for rent by essential workers.
The city council approved a zoning change for the project in an unusual move last month. After denying the initial proposal, the council approved an amended request just three weeks later — a procedure that has only happened three times in the last 15 years.
In response to neighbors’ complaints about increased traffic and parking issues, the amended proposal added public parking spaces, reduced building sizes and increased setbacks.
But many neighbors still opposed the project — including Gleason Industrial Products Vice President William Malone, whose factory is located just north of the proposed complex.
“We have to offload trucks on 10th Street, now you’re exacerbating the traffic situation all the more,” Malone said at the council’s June 27 meeting. “I can’t operate without doing that — you’re running me out of town.”
Malone has now filed a petition claiming the council didn’t follow proper procedure.
It says the council should have presented the amended proposal to the city plan commission, which is barred from considering a denied zoning change for a year after it’s been rejected.
In addition, it states that even if the request was amended enough to be considered a new proposal, it still should have come before the plan commission for approval.
“The [council] decision is an abuse of discretion and not in accordance with the law,” it reads.
Malone’s petition also claims Gleason Industrial Products will suffer from a reduction in property values if the apartment complex is developed as proposed.
The petition also lists the city’s redevelopment department, Anderson Partners and consulting firm Jones Petrie Rafinski as respondents.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.
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