By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent
Rueben and Co., at 9251 Antioch Rd., may be sold to a group with plans to create a family restaurant and several youth-sized baseball fields.
There are already two men‘s softball fields behind Rueben’s and the plan would be to develop two smaller, youth-size baseball fields this year with the eyes to the future for more.
Chuck Banker, Steve Shutnik and Michael Jones plan to pool their restaurant, financial and baseball expertise to develop Sand Lots of Salem.
Eventually the 13-acre site could hold five youth baseball fields, a concessions and restroom facility, batting cages and a volleyball court.
The land would need to be rezoned, the wetlands delineated and additional parking added to accommodate the plan, according to officials. Access for emergency services would also need to be worked into the plan.
Michael Jones, a representative of the group, appeared before the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission Feb. 24 and received conceptual approval.
The group is still working out a deal with the current owners of Rueben and Co.
Town officials said they believe the development would fill a need in the community.
Commission Chairman Tom Hinze suggested the group talk with the neighbors soon to avoid that type of contention that arose last month during discussion of a proposed orchard operation on 98th Street.
The commission had unanimously recommended the rezoning of more than half of a 15-acre parcel from A-2 and a residential zoning to B-3 to accommodate an apple orchard, retail sales area and event barn. When the item landed before the Town Board, however, it was denied.
One concern was once the zoning were changed from Agricultural to B-3, the town would no longer have any say over what was placed on that parcel.
At the end of the Feb. 24 planning and zoning commission meeting, board liaison Mike Culat reported that the developers of the orchard decided to move ahead with an orchard, but no event barn appears to be on the horizon.
See the March 4 print edition of the Westosha Report for the full story