BZA tables variance for indoor training facility at Big Walnut Elementary after easement concerns

The Sunbury Board of Zoning Appeals on March 17 voted to table a variance request for Big Walnut Elementary after neighbors raised questions about an existing access easement and the location of existing structures.

The applicant, represented by Bart Apple, board president of the Big Walnut Baseball and Softball Association, asked for a side-yard setback reduction from 25 feet to 8 feet so the group could build a 40-foot-wide indoor training facility to replace outdoor batting cages damaged in storms. Apple told the board the facility would serve roughly 600 youth participants annually and would be used by recreational and school teams; coaches would use electronic access codes to enter the building.

Board members and nearby landowners asked whether the new structure would encroach on a long-established access easement that runs from Jackson Street to the school property. Eric Clucker, representing adjacent owner PML Farms, said the easement and related drainage tile are maintained as public infrastructure and asked the board to delay action until the easement status and any potential conflicts with existing structures are researched.

City staff confirmed a one-page letter from the school district had been submitted to the record and agreed to verify the legal description and easement documents. With the consent of the applicant the board voted to table the variance to the BZA’s next meeting so staff can research easement ownership, the location of the existing structure, and potential public-infrastructure impacts. The motion to table passed with six yeas.