Letter to the Editor

Storage yard exception 'railroaded' through

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

To the Editor:

When the "contractor storage yard" zoning exception was presented to the Putnam County Commissioners on Aug. 13, I attended the commissioners' meeting to express my concerns about how this "exception" would adversely affect every property owner in the county and should not be allowed.

The commissioners agreed and voted the "exception" down with a unanimous vote. I left the meeting assuming the issue was settled. Not with this Board of Commissioners, it wasn't. It was brought up again on Oct. 6 with a few words changed, but the result would be the same.

This time, Commissioner Don Walton allowed no input or discussion on the matter and the commissioners' vote was unanimous to accept the "exception." The excuse Commissioner Walton gave for not allowing any discussion was totally unsatisfactory. If you have ever been to a meeting and watched something get "railroaded" through, this was a perfect example.

The name of this "exception" is "contractor storage yard," allowing trucks and equipment to be "stored" in an area not zoned for that use. The owners of these trucks in Monroe Township are not just "storing" the trucks. They are also refueling them, repairing and maintaining them, and dispatching them throughout the day beginning at 5 a.m.

This is a trucking business and should only be allowed in an area zoned "industrial." The owners of this trucking business are operating illegally and have been allowed to operate illegally for over a year. Why is the Planning and Zoning Board so blind about this matter that they are allowing this trucking business in Monroe Township to continue to operate outside the law?

A previous letter to the editor from Brian G. Gilmartin more than adequately outlined the zoning laws and their purpose. I will not go into that. If you are a property owner in Putnam County, you are adversely affected by this "exception." Remember, this "exception" is applied to all zones -- residential and commercial, as well as agricultural.

This issue will be at the heart of a petition to allow an exception for this trucking business under the guise of a "contractor storage yard." It will be presented to the County BZA on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Putnam County Courthouse. I urge all property owners who are concerned about how this will affect their property to come to this meeting.

The notice says they will give property owners time to be heard. We'll see. It will also provide an opportunity to see how our county government operates.

Jim Poor

Greencastle