Crops grown near an industrial facility in July near New Carlisle. South Bend
Tribune Photo/MICHAEL CATERINA
SOUTH BEND — More than 730 acres east of New Carlisle has been rezoned from agricultural to industrial use with limitations, to the dismay of opponents who say it opens the door to potentially several thousand more acres of industrial development.
St. Joseph County Council voted Tuesday night — in a meeting that lasted nearly seven hours — to allow rezoning of land that would be part of a controversial plan for the Indiana Enterprise Center, an industrial “mega-park” proposed to expand on existing industry in that area.
Opponents have been actively protesting the proposal for more than two years, citing loss of prime farmland, potential environmental pollution and lack of direct public input in a planning process.
Rezoning approval was given with the condition the landowners agree not to allow “heavy” industrial uses, which generally means uses that could create noise, odor, light pollution and other disturbances. The landowners said they agreed to that.
The rezoning petitions were from Kenneth E. Sebasty Sr., Elaine A. Sebasty and Kenneth E. Sebasty Jr. for 580 acres, and from Todd L. Kaminski, Jill F. Oudhuis and Tim V. Kaminski for 153 acres adjacent to the Sebasty property. The acreage in question is east of Willow Road, north of Indiana 2 and west of Larrison Boulevard.
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