The St. Joseph Township Board of Trustees has denied its permission for a third apartment building to be added to a development planned at the Nye’s Apple Barn property.
Trustees on Monday considered two amendments to the Planned Unit Development secured by site owner John Nye for the development at 3151 Niles Road. One would reduce the required setback of the apple barn structure itself to allow for a lager expansion. The other would allow that third apartment building.
Trustees agreed to the setback request, but a motion to allow the third apartment building failed.
The decision came after trustees heard from several residents opposed to the plan, citing issues like traffic, noise, and privacy being affected. Resident Mary Humphrey said a third apartment building combined with another nearby development is only going to further increase traffic.
“The Blue Roof Church is also constructing six new apartment buildings,” Humphrey said. “That’s 144 apartments that will add additional residents, vehicles, daily traffic to this very same area.”
Resident Mary Klemm noted trustees previously rejected a proposal from Nye that would have included three apartment buildings.
“At that time, you said it was too much and too small a parcel and you turned it down,” Klemm said. “Also at that time, there were no other apartment buildings on the agenda. Now we have the Blue Roof Church of 144 units just across Niles Avenue.”
Nye added the third apartment building to his plan when a welcome center previously planned for the site fell through. He’s also planning a gas station and a fast food establishment for the property. Trustees approved those and two of the 24-unit apartment buildings back in February. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Nye regarding what will replace the welcome center.
Also Tuesday, trustees with no comment agreed to a brownfield plan for the 144-unit apartment complex planned adjacent to the Blue Roof Church.
