Marshall County BZA approves variance for two chicken barns on Grape Road with conditions after heated public comment

The Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals on the evening of its regular meeting approved a variance to reduce the county's 1,320-foot residential setback so applicant Caleb Cawthold (identified in filings as Caleb Koffel/Cawthold) can build two 60-by-600-foot poultry barns at 3359 Grape Road, after neighbors and the Town of Bremen urged the board to deny or delay the request.

Why it matters: The project would expand an existing nearby poultry operation and neighbors said it would increase truck traffic, odors, flies and reduce the potential for future residential development in an area the town is planning to grow. The board approved the application with explicit conditions requiring regulatory permits and neighbor consents, reflecting ongoing tension between large-scale agricultural operations and adjacent communities.

Board staff said the applicant’s map and materials indicate the proposed barns would be configured similarly to an existing operation across the road and that the project would require approval from the…