Parking Lot Loophole     
- Erin Murphy, WTHI   
6/21/2004   
 
Some Farrington Grove residents had to get used to living next door to a parking lot.

Around 2 months ago, Wayne Collins Realty tore down a home in the Farrington Grove District, and built a parking lot.

Neighbors aren't happy, and want to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Wayne Collins Realty legally built a parking lot, after getting turned down for months.

And many Farrington Grove homeowners are blaming it on a loophole.

"There have been several times that businesses opted to encroach on the district, and they found a way where they could do that," says homeowner Dan Sanders. 

Under the current City Rezoning Ordinance, there are two ways to get a parking lot, for Special Use or as an Accessory Use for your business.

The parking lot is meant to fall under the Special Use section, but businesses like Wayne Collins claimed the parking lot as an Accessory Use, which allowed the lot.

Now many Farrington Grove residents want to get rid of the loophole.

To get a head start on patching the loophole, City Council member Todd Nation took it into his own hands, and held a special City Council meeting.

To prevent another business opportunity from popping up, in the middle of a neighborhood.

"Depending on how good your attorney is you might be able to find a way through in between those, to get something done that probably shouldn't be done," explains Todd Nation.

Todd Nation is very optimistic there will be some change to the ordinace, but a decision won't be made until at least August.

Only one City Council member disagreed with the changes, and called it "un-american", saying the new ordinance will make Terre Haute even more unfriendly toward businesses.