The City of Shelbyville’s Plan Commission moved forward a petition to annex a Miller Avenue residence into the city and granted approval for a new storage building to be erected at 950 W. Washington Street.

Adolfo Patino, owner of 2127 S. Miller Avenue, is dealing with septic tank issues every time it rains. His petition to be annexed into the city will allow the residence to connect to city utility services, including the sewage system.

A favorable recommendation was granted to move the petition forward to the city’s Common Council.

Randy Robinson, owner of 950 W. Washington Street, had a site development plan approved Tuesday to create a new storage facility at the property that formerly housed Paxton Trucking.

Existing buildings on the property were created in 1977. One is currently being demolished due to it being in poor condition. Robinson wants to build a 6,000-square-foot building that will house personal items such as antique cars.

The site development plan was approved and will move on to the Common Council for approval.

Adam Rude, the city’s plan director, discussed with the Plan Commission updates to landscaping standards that are being created. Current landscaping standards were created in 2012, according to Rude, and are now outdated in some respects.

The goal is to increase the quality of the standards. Their purpose is to:

• Increase planting standards
• Enhance aesthetics and environmental health of the community
• Enhance aesthetics around ponds, utilize natural measures to deter geese
• Encourage and incentivize plant preservation
• Ensure maintenance of landscaping once planted
• Encourage plant diversity for a more natural look

The standards are being created for residential and non-residential areas.

The standards for ponds is new, according to Rude. The goal is to improve aesthetics and use natural deterrents to not attract protected Canadian geese to local ponds.

Parking lot landscaping standards also are being updated.

No formal action was taken at the Plan Commission meeting Tuesday at City Hall.

The timeline is to introduce an ordinance at the Common Council meeting on May 16. A public hearing for input will be held at the next Plan Commission meeting on May 23.

The final reading and adoption of the new standards will occur at the June 6 Common Council meeting.