ANDERSON — Despite some concerns from area residents, the Madison County Plan Commission approved a rezoning request for Nutrition 101.
Rachel Christenson, interim director of the Madison County Planning Department, said Tuesday that the request was to rezone 261.5 acres from agricultural to light industrial.
The petition was filed by Nutrition 101 and JCP Farms for property located on West County Road 900 South and abutting both Ind. 9 and Ind. 67.
“They have been a great neighbor to the community,” Christenson said.
She said it was an unusual area to be zoned for residential use, which would probably never take place because of the adjacent industry and Indiana Department of Correction facilities in the area.
“This site lends itself for light industrial use,” Christenson said.
She said there are no plans to immediately develop the property and that Plan Commission members should take into consideration commercial development along Ind. 67 from Fortville to Pendleton.
Attorney Kyle Resetarits representing Nutrition 101 said the rezoning would serve as a buffer between the residential areas and the correctional facility.
Cory Peters, owner of Nutrition 101, said he is not proposing to build anything on the site at the present time.
“I would like to farm it for as long as possible,” he said. “It should not be used for heavy industry or residential use for the next 10 to 20 years.”
Peters said the company, which produces feed, has facilities in North Carolina and Georgia and is considering a facility in New York.
Randy McVey with the town of Ingalls said the town has four wells in the area and asked that any future development include Ingalls.
Resident Ken Taylor said the rezoning will have an impact on the surrounding residential properties.
He said since a fence row and trees were trimmed, he now has a view of the correctional facilities, the Indiana State Police post and truck parking at Nutrition 101.
Another resident said the industrial operation in the area has impacted the presence of wildlife in the area.
“We could have sold the property for residential development,” Peters said. “We don’t want houses on these parcels.”
Christenson said any future development would require connecting to water and sewer utility services.
Plan Commission member John Richwine said the site will not be developed until the property is annexed into the town of Pendleton.
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