Whiteland BZA approves two variances to allow greenhouse polycarbonate and metal panels for high school expansion

The Whiteland Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved two development-standards variances on July 9 to allow nonconforming exterior materials on separate portions of the Clark Pleasant/Whiteland school campus: polycarbonate glazing for a greenhouse and metal paneling as accent cladding on a new student activity/field-house addition and classroom areas.

The variance requests — case numbers 2025-VD-05 (129 U.S. 31, the Clark Pleasant Academy site) and 2025-VD-06 (300 Main Street, the Whiteland Community High School main campus) — were approved 4-0, with board members Juanita Emery, Derek Westfall, Byron Temple and Gary Howard recorded as voting yes. The approvals adopted the staff report as the board’s findings of fact.

Staff said the greenhouse will require polycarbonate material to function as intended, and that metal panels are already used elsewhere on the campus; in both proposals the petitioner added a brick wainscot to match existing buildings. The staff report concluded the materials would not harm public health or safety, would not increase fire or flood risk, and would not unreasonably affect adjacent property values. The town’s outside engineer, Commonwealth, and the town’s technical review had reviewed the civil plans; civil construction plans were approved on 06/24/2025.

Architect Misha Belayev of Landshare Associates said the greenhouse proposal is…