One of the biggest surprises – and announcements – from Mayor Tom Henry’s State of the City address had little to do with city government at all.For now, residents of the Cherry Hill subdivision are claiming a victory over the neighborhood’s developer, who sought to add an office park to the area.
Thomas Niezer, an attorney for Roger Delagrange, said he sent a letter to city officials Friday stating his client wished to withdraw a rezoning request that would have allowed the commercial expansion.
“The plan will be re-evaluated,” said Delagrange, who owns Chestnut Group Inc., which planned a $1.6 million office complex on the north side of the 9000 block of St. Joe Center Road. Possible tenants were a dentist, a financial planner and an insurance agent.
The neighborhood already has a 4,000-square-foot office building that houses a builder and an orthodontist at Wheelock and St. Joe Center roads, but it’s considerably smaller than the proposed 13,300-square-foot office park.
“When we put the first one in there was no opposition, so we didn’t feel the need to have a public hearing for this second complex,” Delagrange said. “I would never do anything to impact or hurt home values. It’s disappointing because you have a lot of people overreacting.”
Steve Pequignot, Cherry Hill Community Association president, doesn’t share those feelings. He said many residents who make up the more-than-400-home subdivision felt betrayed by Delagrange.
And while a similar office building already exists in the area, residents said another such structure would detract from a neighborhood known for its tree-lined streets, ponds and golf course.
Last month, about 50 residents showed their disapproval before the Fort Wayne Plan Commission, which voted 5-1 in favor of the office addition. Secretary Michael Bultemeier voted against the development.
“Initially, this is good news,” Pequignot said.
“We retained a lawyer a few weeks ago because we felt we needed some professional advice rather than just a grass-roots effort. People did not want this, so it’s a victory.”
Chestnut Group’s withdrawal of the rezoning request means the City Council will not address the matter during its Tuesday meeting.
