FORTVILLE — About 500 storage units and nine office suites are coming to Fortville’s southwest side.
Indianapolis-based GRD Property Holdings LLC plans to bring the development to a vacant eight-acre field at 750 West Garden St.
Bob Herdrich, owner of GRD Property Holdings, said the 13,500-square-foot office building will have nine suites and that he’s planning for 500 storage units of about nine different sizes, including ones large enough for recreational vehicles.
Herdrich also owns Fortville Self Storage nearby at 603 W. Garden St.
He’s planning about eight storage buildings for his latest venture. Two will be climate-controlled with interior entry, while the rest will be exterior entry.
Adam Zaklikowski, Fortville planning administrator, said at last week’s meeting of the Fortville Division of the Hancock County Board of Zoning Appeals that the project will be split into two phases, the first being the office building.
Herdrich told the Daily Reporter that he hopes for construction to start on the first phase in early October and finish late next spring or early summer. The second phase should be finished within the next couple of years, he added.
The project is similar to the one The Dixon Construction Group proposed but never fulfilled for the property in 2015.
GRD Property Holdings’ plan for the site needed approval from the Fortville division of the county’s board of zoning appeals on six variances from local development standards, mostly pertaining to setbacks.
The division approved the variances 4-1 with Justin Crawford, Deborah Green, Bob Hiday and Lacey Willard voting in favor and Earl Bolander voting against.
Hiday told the Daily Reporter that he supports the variances because of the project’s similarity to the one already planned for the property several years ago. He said the property’s surroundings also make it a good fit for what’s planned, pointing to the railroad tracks to its south, Garden Street to its north and a road that leads only to an electrical substation to its west.
“It’s a very unique piece of property,” Hiday said.
Jim Cooper, who lives on Garden Street across from the proposed development, spoke at last week’s meeting and asked what the differences were between Herdrich’s and The Dixon Construction Group’s plans, particularly when it comes to lighting.
Herdrich said he is planning the same kind of lighting as Dixon — mounted on buildings.
“I’m not going to make it like a shopping center,” Herdrich said.
While lighting wasn’t one of the issues Fortville zoning officials were tasked with considering last week, Bolander told the Daily Reporter in an email that Cooper’s concern contributed to his opposition.
“The concern regarding the emitting light is what made me decide to vote nay because of the negative effect it may have on Mr. Cooper and his neighbors,” Bolander wrote.
He added he wishes the best to Herdrich and his sons, who are his business partners.
“I have nothing but good wishes for Bob Herdrich and his sons regarding their new project and hope that it is a successful business venture for them,” he wrote. “I also hope the light coming from the building and parking lot do not have a negative impact on the neighboring homes across Garden Street.”
