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Porter County approves variance to restore shared septic, bars rental of second dwelling
Summary
The Porter County board approved a use variance allowing an upgraded septic system to serve two existing dwellings on a Valparaiso property, with conditions requiring code compliance and limiting occupancy of the second dwelling to close relatives rather than renters.
The Porter County board voted to approve a use variance for a parcel in Liberty Township that will allow an upgraded septic system to serve two existing dwellings on the property at or near 690 North 50 West in Valparaiso.
Justin Holland, the property owner, told the board the two structures have existed on the parcel since at least 1924 and that he purchased the property in 2022. Holland said a road placed when the land was subdivided had crossed and effectively disabled the leach field for one dwelling. He told the board he sought an appropriately sized, upgraded leach field so both homes could be serviced and to allow his mother to move into the smaller, single-level house. "We were hoping to hook that back into the same leach field getting, you know, properly sized, obviously, and allow my mother who is getting a little bit older and having a hard time handling her stairs at her house to live in a flat house," Holland said.
Board members discussed the parcel history and the condition of the existing structures. A neighbor asked whether parcel owners would continue to share pond maintenance costs; another board member suggested sending the matter to code enforcement to address visible property condition concerns. The board also noted Soil Solutions had been engaged to design a replacement system sized for both houses.
The board approved the variance with two explicit conditions: the property must submit to code compliance as discussed in the hearing, and the smaller dwelling may be occupied only by a close relative (the board recorded that it may not be rented out). The approval was recorded as a ballot vote: Jim Florida — yes; Luther Williams — yes; Martin Brookshire — yes. The motion to approve was made and seconded on the record; the minutes show an affirmative vote by the voting members present.
The board and staff recorded no change to the parcel's historic structures beyond the required septic work and code compliance steps. Code enforcement follow-up and required septic design approval were noted as next steps.
