A proposed parking lot beside St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in downtown Columbus drew some concerns from members of Columbus City Council when its rezoning came before the council last night.

St. Peter’s was asking to rezone four properties along Fourth Street from residential and commercial community uses to public facilities use. The properties, just east of Chestnut Street would be turned into a parking lot with just over 40 parking spaces to support the neighboring church, school and outreach center.

Organizers of the church proposal pointed out that the property is contaminated and is too close to underground storage tanks to allow for residential use, especially if a FHA loan were involved in building a home. Remediation would require major investment and overhaul of the site, including perhaps incinerating the contaminated dirt at the site and bringing in clean soil.

Councilman Tom Dell took exception to the idea of putting a new parking lot so close to the area being developed under Envision Columbus. Dell also disputed the neighborhood support exhibited by letters, saying that few of those actually lived in the neighborhood and instead represented landlords who do not live in the area.

Councilwoman Elaine Hilber said she was concerned about double standards. Two weeks ago the council approved the use of property in Garden City for residential use despite it being an actual Superfund site. Now, the council was asked to assume that no homes could be built on the St. Peters site, making it most useful as parking space. She also said she was concerned that the proposal did not meet the recommendations of Envision Columbus.

Councilman Dave Bush, who serves on the plan commission, pointed out that Envision Columbus does not hold the force of city law and is more of a vision for the future.

With Councilwoman Grace Kestler abstaining from the vote, the council deadlocked on approval of the rezoning and the issue will come before the council again at its next meeting.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is praising a local glass company for helping an elderly woman in need.

According to the sheriff’s department, a 93-year-old woman reported that someone had thrown a brick through her front window. Deputy Robert Cooper went to Kenny Glass to purchase plastic to help the woman secure the window. But instead, Kenny Glass replaced her window free of charge, according to Judy Jackson, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.

A Seymour man is dead after a crash on Interstate 65 last night.

36-year-old Demetrius A. Burnam died from blunt force trauma in the accident according to the Bartholomew County coroner’s office.

Police say that they were called to the single-vehicle crash about three miles south of the Columbus exit at about 9:52 p.m. Sunday night. For unknown reasons, Burnam’s vehicle left the road and rolled over. He was found dead when police arrived.

The accident remains under investigation by the Columbus police department’s crash reconstructionists.

A Columbus woman is accused of pouring gasoline around a home and vehicles Saturday morning in an arson attempt during an argument.

Columbus police were called to the 700 block of California Street at about 10 a.m. Saturday morning and noticed the strong odor of gasoline near the home. They also saw a gas can lying on its side next to the front porch and an oxygen tank propped up against the porch.

29-year-old Paige N. Sneed, of Columbus, was taken into custody on a preliminary felony charge of attempted arson.

A 5-year-old was flown to IU Riley Children’s Hospital Saturday after being found unconscious in a Bartholomew County swimming pool.

Bartholomew County deputies report being called to the 5000 block of Somerset Lane at just after 6 p.m. Saturday evening. When they arrived they found the child’s father performing CPR on the unconscious child. Deputy Sgt. Andrew Whipker assisted with the life-saving efforts until medics arrived.

Deputies report that the child appears to have left the residence unnoticed and had been in the pool for about five minutes. The child was last reported to be in serious but stable condition at the hospital.