The Evansville Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 16, 2025, approved a string of land‑use actions including a special‑use permit for a dog training and boarding facility at 2628 North Cullen Avenue and a downtown office expansion at 209 Southeast Third Street that reduces required parking from 137 spaces to 39, the board said at a meeting in the Civic Center Complex.

The downtown variance and parking reduction were the most consequential approvals: the board granted multiple relaxations for the project at 209 Southeast Third Street that also keep existing drive‑aisle widths and green‑space configurations in place while allowing a two‑story office addition. Scott Bridal, a representative of Cash Wagner & Associates, said the company has about 78 full‑time employees but typically has only 20 to 25 people in the office at once because many staff are out on projects. “We’re thrilled to be a member of the Evansville community. We’ve been here for 25 years,” Bridal said. The board voted 7‑0 to approve the application (VARDash2025Dash080).

Why it matters: The downtown approval formally reduces the off‑street parking the applicant must provide, which the applicant and staff said reflects long‑standing on‑site conditions and nearby public parking. Board discussion noted that the city is revising parking rules — a change that could alter future parking requirements — but the board acted on the application under the current code.

Dog training special use and parking condition

The board approved SPUDash2025Dash016, allowing a dog training and overnight boarding operation at 2628 North Cullen Avenue, operated by No Vacancy LLC and represented at the hearing by Jennifer Bennett. Bennett said the operation will be smaller than the company’s west‑side facility, with about two employees and roughly five dogs boarded at a time; clients will come by appointment. “We will offer day camp, and also board and trains, which would require us to board dogs overnight,” Bennett said. The board attached a condition limiting the special use to the specific dog‑boarding/training use within use‑group 19 and set the number of required parking spaces at 10. The motion carried, 7‑0.

Church parking, sign and other land‑use approvals

The board granted SPUDash2025Dash017, allowing a parking‑lot expansion for Northwoods Church on North Green River Road. Jim Morley Jr., project engineer with Morley Corp., described the site and said the special use applied to the church and its ancillary facilities; the board approved the request by a 7‑0 vote.

At 5600 Oak Hill Road, the board approved ARDash2025Dash077 to allow an on‑premises monument sign to increase in height from the six‑foot limit under current county code to 12 feet so the Oak Hill Baptist Church can reinstall an existing sign at its new location. Kayla Rodenberg of Albie Signs said the sign is the same unit relocated to the church’s new property. The board approved the sign height variance, 7‑0.

Five rear‑setback variances in Larimer Cove

The board considered five related petitions from Thompson Land/Thompson Land Development, each seeking a reduction in the minimum rear yard setback from 25 feet to 20 feet to accommodate larger house footprints on separately platted lots in Larimer Cove (VARDash2025Dash086, 087, 088, 089, 090). Jim Morley Jr. explained the subdivision was platted in 2021 for smaller homes; as market demand shifted to larger homes the petitioner sought five extra feet of depth on each lot. Board members confirmed property lines and easements would not change. Each variance was approved separately; each vote was 7‑0.

Accessory‑structure variances

The board approved a series of variances allowing accessory structures to exceed the size or height of the primary residence at several addresses: VARDash2025Dash078 (7140 Kramer Road; accessory structures to total ~3,000 sq ft), VARDash2025Dash079 (3808 Corning Road; new 2,760 sq ft detached garage), VARDash2025Dash081 (4501 Detore Road; covered deck addition increasing accessory total to 1,688 sq ft), VARDash2025Dash082 (5414 W Saint Joseph Road; new 600 sq ft detached garage), and VARDash2025Dash083 (15735 McCutchen Road; 1,600 sq ft, 18‑ft‑tall pole barn located closer to the roadway than the house). Petitioners at each hearing stated the structures are for personal, noncommercial use; each variance passed unanimously, 7‑0.

Votes at a glance

- SPUDash2025Dash016 (2628 North Cullen Ave) — Special‑use permit to allow dog training and overnight boarding; condition: limited to the stated use (use‑group 19) and parking set at 10 spaces. Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- SPUDash2025Dash017 (9500 N Green River Rd) — Special‑use permit for church parking‑lot expansion. Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash086–090 (multiple Larimer Cove lots) — Rear‑yard setback reduction from 25 ft to 20 ft for five lots; each approved 7‑0.
- ARDash2025Dash077 (5600 Oak Hill Rd) — Monument sign height from 6 ft to 12 ft. Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash078 (7140 Kramer Rd) — Accessory total to ~3,000 sq ft (320 sq ft addition to pole barn). Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash079 (3808 Corning Rd) — New 2,760 sq ft detached garage (personal use). Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash080 (209 SE Third St) — Multiple relaxations including parking from 137 to 39 spaces, reduced setbacks and drive widths to maintain existing conditions and allow a two‑story office addition. Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash081 (4501 Detore Rd) — Covered deck addition; accessory total ~1,688 sq ft. Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash082 (5414 W Saint Joseph Rd) — New 600 sq ft secondary detached garage. Vote: 7‑0, approved.
- VARDash2025Dash083 (15735 McCutchen Rd) — 1,600 sq ft pole barn, 18 ft tall, located 40 ft from roadway (requested front setback reduction). Vote: 7‑0, approved.

Meeting context and next steps

Board members conducted the roll call and handled testimony for multiple related petitions together when appropriate; the board noted that testimony was taken collectively for a group of similar Larimer Cove petitions but that votes were recorded separately for each lot. Nearly all actions were approved unanimously (7‑0). The board’s next regular meeting was announced for Nov. 20, 2025, at 3 p.m. in Room 301 of the Civic Center Complex.

Speakers quoted in this report were identified in the public record at the hearing and include only board members, petitioners and their representatives.