News

By MATTHEW LeBLANC

The Wells County Area Plan Commission signed off Thursday on a 66,200 square foot development plan on Bluffton’s south side.

The plan, from the George Swinford Revocable Trust, calls for construction of an office/warehouse building and 11 parking spaces at 350 E. State St., near the Kroger grocery store.

Plans call for construction to come in phases, though work on the area could begin in the next two weeks. Initial construction will include a building, loading dock, earth work, a turnaround area for trucks and a detention basin for stormwater.

Brett Miller of MLS Engineering told APC members at the panel’s regular meeting last night detailed plans are being submitted now rather than coming to the board again in the future for approval of other portions of the plan.

“We’re coming in with a master plan,” Miller said. “That way, we only have to do this once.”

Board members Jerome Markley, Becky Stone-Smith, Bill Horan, John Schuhmacher, Mike Morrissey, Tim Rohr, Jarrod Hahn, Harry Baumgartner, Dick Kolkman and Todd Fiechter each voted to approve the proposal, pending approval of the stormwater plan by the county’s drainage board, which will meet Monday.

Hahn, the county surveyor, told board members he expects the plan to be approved.