Lebanon Plan Commission approves new elementary school site
Jun. 24—The Lebanon Planning Commission this week approved the development plan application for a new elementary school, over the objection of a neighbor who fears its locale will cause traffic woes.
The Lebanon Community School Corporation's request now moves to the Lebanon City Council with a favorable recommendation from the plan commission.
The yet-to-be named school will be built in what is now a farm field owned by the corporation at the intersection of Fordice Street and John Bart Road. It will replace Central Elementary School, 5156 E. Williams St. Built in 1951, Central is the oldest of the district's four elementary schools and the least technologically capable.
The new building is part of a $102.6 million project to renovate portions of the middle and high schools and renovate and expand the district's three remaining elementary schools: Perry-Worth, Hattie B. Stokes, and Harney.
The new 100,000-square-foot building will have 38 classrooms and be situated on the northwest corner of the intersection. Site neighbor Susan Sosbe asked if the building could be situated closer to the high and middle schools to the north instead of so near housing development entrances to the south.
The new school at that corner "will put additional traffic on very busy roads that are not built to handle the traffic already there," she said. "Many mornings, including this morning, we have to sit in our driveways and wait to get out," because of heavy traffic.
Lebanon Engineer Kevin Krulik noted that school traffic occurs off of peak driving hours. He also said the city has hired consultants for traffic analysis of the area and plans to alleviate problem areas. And the city will use turn lanes and turn tapers to ensure school traffic can turn without delaying other motorists on Fordice and John Bart.
Voters approved a referendum last year to fund the project with property tax money. But taxes did not rise because the new debt replaced debt that recently retired. LCSC Superintendent Jon Milleman and other school staff and administration went door-to-door to visit voters in a campaign to win the vote.
In other business, the commission:
* Approved the development plan application for the Bar Louie restaurant as part of a combined plan with Fairfield Inn. The two will not be attached and will be built along Ind. 32 east of Interstate 65 in the Lebanon Gateway Marketplace. Bar Louie will be a 5,700-square-foot sit-down restaurant. The owner may now apply for various permits.
* Gave a favorable recommendation to forward to the Common Council the PUD rezone for a townhouse community to be built by Lennar Homes at 2802 N. Ind. 39. Lennar will situate 17 buildings for a total of 96 town homes that will be individually sold to private homeowners. Each will be 1,700 to 1,800 square feet and include smart technology, some wood floors, kitchen appliances, a yard in the back, a two-car garage, and room for two more cars in the driveway. A homeowners association will be responsible for the exteriors. The developer sought a PUD designation because the city has no zoning designation specific to a townhouse community. A neighbor from the next property north objected to increased traffic that may come with the community, especially when Eli Lilly and Co. construction traffic will also increase, and traffic already makes it difficult for her to leave and return home on Ind. 39.
* Approved a development plan application for the rehabilitation of the former Bottoms Up Bar and Grill at 235 W. Cox Ave. Shane Conner, owner of
ATEC, Inc
* . electrical contractors, may now apply for permits. He will use the building as office space and add a 3,200-square-foot warehouse on the triangular lot tucked in behind a truck stop and I-65. Conner also sought a variance to hang a 60-foot flag pole.
* Recommended the Single-Family (SF) zoning classification to the council for the proposed annexation territory of 40 acres at County Roads 375 W. 375 N. The property is not part of the LEAP Lebanon district, but the property owner anticipates that he will eventually sell it for commercial development and wanted to complete annexation first, Bontrager told the commission.
