Board of Zoning Appeals approves multiple variances, denies Chick‑fil‑A bypass lane request

The Board of Zoning Appeals on Feb. 10 adopted written findings and approved a string of variance requests for commercial and residential properties, denied a variance request for a Chick‑fil‑A drive‑through bypass lane and continued one petition after the petitioner was not available on video.

The board, chaired by an unnamed presiding officer, opened the meeting by approving minutes from Jan. 27, 2025, and then moved through several findings-of-fact motions that the board adopted as final action. Multiple development‑standards variances for commercial sites were approved unanimously; notable actions included approval of a three‑part variance for a proposed Chase Bank at the southeast corner of State Road 135 and Smoky Road, and approval of two residential accessory‑structure variances. The board denied a request to waive the required bypass lane for a proposed Chick‑fil‑A at the northwest corner of I‑65 and East Main Street by a 4–1 vote.

Why it matters: the approvals allow developers to proceed toward final plan submittal and staff will prepare written findings to be adopted as the board’s final decisions. The Chick‑fil‑A denial requires the petitioner to revise site plans to meet the Unified Development Ordinance or seek a different site; one petition was continued because the petitioner could not be sworn in without video.

Votes at a glance - BCA 2024‑054 (development standards…