Board approves temporary outdoor storage of modular homes at church parking lot for limited periods

The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 3 approved a use variance letting Volumod temporarily store modular housing units at a paved parking area on church property at 901 North Post Road on an as‑needed basis (limited to three months per calendar year), subject to a plan of operation, perimeter screening and additional landscaping.

Attorney David Gilman, representing the petitioner Calvary Temple/Caring Place and Volumod, said the property (part of a roughly 16‑acre site) was used in June 2024 for three months to hold modular units during a production surge and that the storage worked without enforcement issues. "They were there for about 3 months. It worked out well," Gilman said. Volumod president Ryan Scott told the board the company had grown from about 25 employees to about 115 and that periodic off‑site storage was necessary to keep production moving on large multi‑module projects.

The petition included a Plan of Operation restricting storage to modular homes only, limiting use to three months per calendar year, perimeter mesh screening to reduce visibility, and an immediate tree and landscaping plan to enhance screening along East 30th Street. Support letters were filed from Councilor Rena Allen and others; Warren Township Development Association testified in favor.

Planning staff recommended denial, arguing the SU‑1 special use district (reserved for religious uses) does not contemplate outdoor storage and that allowing intensive outdoor storage would be atypical and set a precedent. Staff noted the property is within a protected special use district and that heavy outdoor storage is not a permitted use. Petitioners countered that the use is temporary, limited in duration, occurs behind existing tree lines and security infrastructure, and would generate lease revenue for the church and support local employment.

The board voted 5–0 to grant the variance. The recorded vote was Percy Bland, Brian Hannon, Joanna Taft, Rhianna Bender and Rod Bohannon voting yes. The approval includes the petitioner’s commitments in the plan of operation, landscape plantings, and screening described in the application.

Next steps: Petitioner must comply with the plan of operation and landscape commitments and pursue any permits required for temporary storage and fencing.