[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6245861,"mediaKeyId","3220367-ed930856382084c6b18debd1c73b76ea","parentId",3220367,"title","Board approves variances for small office on U.S. 41 with sidewalk condition","audioSeconds",713,"startMs",1620000,"endMs",2333000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220367-ed930856382084c6b18debd1c73b76ea&start=1620&end=2333","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220367-ed930856382084c6b18debd1c73b76ea/thumbnail_1620000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6245861/Indiana/Board-approves-variances-for-small-office-on-US-41-with-sidewalk-condition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6245861-0a25f31f5762c3c9f303dfbaa6f792fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771134603&Signature=MRwZB5WdfPa4jwkQlTA~ogcBacacR~~TZPi0LcKShSshuVg0atHHioN0uDobhk1xKyq~6kxjN3MHnDPIqJxhiUimzLoJF2dEskN0iQYYryVKlVmuuAoWuiiMNy8eb11ZPytzBenTZ4N9ixPErNVDjrHA9i69WQq342TmN4gwJmFZeGvhEbAn0mW~IlPkaxnwidzgQDDSs5oXSZ~LaTNr-wouvnUVspwwUGXTAr1R39-dRIHoMvHQZQ4QMbDQMj3yVD5Ot4F745BO1A00yNLJEIQJWxm8pyqecx6b4w~fNtAQK520UFjj8trhnHAXnTyT6WGGjl0OBb61PdcMmZ4Ulg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town Council of St John IN","date","2025-05-08T02:45:50.633Z","article","The St. John Board of Zoning Appeals approved multiple developmental variances on May 7 for a proposed office building at 10625 Wicker Avenue, owned by Michael and Kimberly Naughton and represented by agent Tyler Clotier. The board voted 3-0 to grant relief from several U.S. 41 Overlay District standards, with a condition requiring an eight-foot sidewalk across the property's 100-foot frontage if the variance from pedestrian/bicycle-path requirements is approved (STJMC 24-3-53).

The applicants sought relief from overlay-district standards to allow a roughly 3,000-square-foot office on a lot smaller than the 15,000-square-foot minimum, to place the parking lot in the front yard, and to waive the frontage-road requirement (requests framed against STJMC 24-3-46-1, 24-3-46-5, 24-3-47 and 24-3-53 in the hearing record). An agent said the property had been a legal lot of record when the overlay district was adopted and that the site formerly contained a demolished house.

Agent Tyler Clotier told the board the lot \"is already zoned C-1\" and that \"it's hard to get parking in the back of the property\" because of the lot configuration. He said there are no existing sidewalks along U.S. 41 in that immediate block and that prior variances have been granted elsewhere along the corridor for front-yard parking and frontage exceptions. Clotier also said he had discussed curb-cut limits with INDOT and that the agency indicated a maximum curb opening of 26 feet with limited permitting.

Town planning staff briefed the board on the overlay district's stricter standards and recommended a condition if the pedestrian/bicycle-path variance were granted: construction of an eight-foot-wide sidewalk along the property's U.S. 41 frontage (approximately 100 linear feet). The staff presentation noted similar sidewalk and path improvements required at nearby projects, including a sidewalk required across the street where the Franciscan property is under construction.

A public hearing produced no in-person comments and no written remonstrances. The board took each variance request in turn; motions to approve the variances were made and seconded and each motion carried 3-0. For the variance tied to the pedestrian/bicycle-path requirement (STJMC 24-3-53), the board's approval included the staff-recommended condition that the applicant construct an eight-foot sidewalk across the 100-foot frontage.

The approvals allow the applicants to move forward with site-plan work subject to the conditions discussed in the hearing and any INDOT permitting for driveway access. No formal design or building permit was approved at the hearing; those permit processes and any required engineering for drainage and curb cuts remain separate steps.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting - May 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The zoning board granted multiple variances for a proposed 3,000-square-foot office at 10625 Wicker Avenue, including relief from frontage-road and parking-location requirements, and required an eight-foot sidewalk across the property's 100-foot frontage if the pedestrian/bicycle-path relief is granted.","taxTitle","St John Town, Lake County, Indiana","taxId",52278,"location","Indiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6245866,"St. John zoning board denies corner-lot fence variance over safety concerns",1524,84000,1608000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220367-ed930856382084c6b18debd1c73b76ea&start=84&end=1608","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220367-ed930856382084c6b18debd1c73b76ea/thumbnail_84000.jpg","/articles/6245866/Indiana/St-John-zoning-board-denies-corner-lot-fence-variance-over-safety-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6245866-00cc7388099ff0825c2c3eecdab1b650/orig.mp4?Expires=1771134603&Signature=Q7U78nX8jY6zWmdBfQW-6rBHPiWh-ngpa44VYkTmR0aJzZ9nxG1INdIs4Ojz~dbdS88mHi9UaXpl84l~Tz9TMYYR3uHNnDQSQunwol254Ox6My1lrtBGDkx4dAn1jelP4EV2uqxYWhIHRHjTIJk~c7IEQlcoXLeRQpZ44fGV4urt-4veWzKHZ4O9NwK9Tv4bXb1duFD6icUv-N5zFXj~jPgwuUK-TXm7w0WJCBBPFmg8YOjPba6SxxhV2VyTt5dqPUwURzk8WuXJIt-ewKnsb8Krz2hx0zLbSxfFldfgHTwZNgjQgK~ZAyvIsRyGCYzwO7N1EeEDo5hkKZX~BXh38w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. John Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-0 on May 7 to deny a developmental variance (STJMC 24.5.16E3) that would have let the owner of 9322 West 96th Place erect a six-foot privacy fence past the lot building line near the corner of Triana Lane.

The board's decision followed public testimony and emailed remonstrances from neighbors who said a solid privacy fence near the sidewalk would reduce visibility around a curved intersection and create a safety hazard for drivers and children. A board member moved to deny the variance, saying the request \"will be injurious to the public health, safety, morals, comfort, or general welfare of the community.\" The motion carried 3-0.

Neighbors said the property is an atypical corner lot where the applicant's backyard effectively faces another home's front yard. Rocco Graham, who lives nearby, told the board the proposed fence \"impairs my vision backing out\" and that the fence would effectively be \"a 6 foot privacy fence in my front yard,\" a change he opposed on safety and aesthetic grounds. Ken Swinarski, another nearby resident, said \"there's no 4 way stop there... a lot of children... I just think it's not safe.\"

Owner Anthony Brown said he planned the fence for pool privacy and described the placement as roughly \"about 8 or 9 feet closer to the sidewalk,\" while also noting that the fencing company had told him the utility line was about 12 feet from the sidewalk. During questioning, neighbors and board members disputed those distances and described how sightlines would change if a fence were placed near the tree line shown in the applicant's photos. The record includes multiple emailed objections citing safety and curb appeal from addresses in the Renaissance Subdivision.

Town staff and the board discussed the purpose of building lines to maintain uniform front setbacks along the street. One board member said building lines were established to keep garage fronts and house alignments consistent across a subdivision. The applicant and his agent said prior variances have been granted elsewhere on U.S. 41 corridors and that the fencing company had advised him regarding utility lines; neighbors countered that the corner's curve and lack of stop signs make the location particularly sensitive.

Following public comment and discussion, a board member moved to deny the requested variance under STJMC 24.5.16E3, finding that the approval would pose a safety risk to pedestrians and vehicles and that the use and value of adjacent property would be adversely affected. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously by the three voting members.

No direction to staff or follow-up tasks were recorded in the hearing minutes; the action was a final denial of the relief requested.

Neighbors and emailed remonstrances urged the board to preserve the existing building-line setback for sightlines and neighborhood character. The applicant may seek to redesign the fence to remain within the existing building line; that option was discussed during the meeting but no formal application to alter the request was recorded.","The St. John Board of Zoning Appeals denied a request by a homeowner to build a 6-foot privacy fence past the building line at 9322 West 96th Place, citing impaired sightlines at a street curve and potential risk to pedestrians and drivers.","actionData","errors"]

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Board approves variances for small office on U.S. 41 with sidewalk condition

St. John zoning board denies corner-lot fence variance over safety concerns