Granger residents question Mishawaka officials about plans to expand eastward

By YaSHEKIA SMALLS, Tribune Staff Writer

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By Tiffany Griffin

Story Created: Mar 28, 2008 at 6:41 AM EST

Story Updated: Mar 28, 2008 at 7:27 AM EST

GRANGER — What’s Granger got to lose — besides a bunch of acres — if the neighboring Princess City expands its domain farther east into unincorporated territory?

Way too much for some Granger residents, who directed questions to Mishawaka city planner Ken Prince Thursday night during a special public meeting to address concerns about Mishawaka’s move to annex land east of the city.

"I don’t think a lot of us moved out here to see willy-nilly commercial development," said Barbara Fredman, a nine-year Granger resident who lives on Country Knolls Drive.

What spurred Thursday’s meeting was the process that the Mishawaka Plan Commission started earlier this month to annex about eight acres at Fir Road and the Indiana Toll Road for an assisted living center, and then part of the Toll Road from there east to Capital Avenue. Annexing the Toll Road would make another 120 acres at the Toll Road and Capital connected to the city.

Andy McGrail, referring to such moves as "raping and pillaging," said he did compliment Mishawaka for naturally pursuing such development and said "shame on Granger" for not being incorporated. McGrail, however, pushed for more pedestrian paths in these future developments — something that continues to be looked at but must be weighed because of costs, Prince said.

Prince said the city cannot annex Granger-area property unless a majority of a subdivision, for example, is in favor of doing so. He also said annexed areas must be provided with comparable levels of city protection.

A development in an annexed area would have to connect to Mishawaka for utilities, St. Joseph County Commissioner Mark Dobson added. With a hotel probably being a very profitable business for that 120-acre parcel, Granger resident Bryan Palonis raised concerns about a new development’s potential to contaminate Granger’s vulnerable aquifer.

Granger Community Action Committee spokesman Dennis Miller questioned whether the Mishawaka fire station on Douglas Road or the closer Harris Township fire station on Elm Road would serve Mishawaka’s newly annexed area. Still, Dobson said county officials are working on a 911 center to eradicate confusion regarding responders.

Although Fredman said she respects the ability of business to bring a property tax base that benefits the county, she wants to make sure new businesses are aesthetically pleasing. But Dobson, who works as a developer, said Mishawaka’s architectural/development standards are relatively high.

The state’s Circuit Breaker law, which caps property taxes, also actually might be a "disincentive to annex," Dobson said. Prince said he expects many annexations this year because a city cannot change its municipal limits a year before a census.

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