Zoning board denies request to allow RV as primary use at 3321 S. Tibbs; several variances and continuances also acted on

The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 2 denied a petition to allow recreational-vehicle parking as a primary use at 3321 South Tibbs Avenue in Decatur Township, voting 4-0 at its public hearing.

The board rejected the variance request after staff recommended denial and multiple neighbors and the Decatur Township Civic Council's land-use committee expressed opposition. The petitioners, who identified themselves as PDJ's Lake LLC, had asked to continue longstanding use of the empty lot to park an RV and other recreational equipment.

The petitioners' representative, Mark Jefferson, told the board the Strakos family has used the parcel for decades and that "we have had an RV parked on that lot off and on for almost 60 years without complaint." Jefferson said the family would accept planting, fencing or other screening the board required.

City zoning staff recommended denial. A staff presentation said the 0.66-acre lot is in the D5 zoning district and is an undeveloped residential parcel; staff noted code-enforcement actions in 2024 and 2025 and said the consolidated zoning and subdivision ordinance permits RVs only as accessory uses when a primary dwelling exists and prohibits RVs from being occupied for living purposes in excess of 15 days in a calendar year. Staff concluded approving a primary-use variance would be an "extreme deviation" from the infill housing guidelines and the comprehensive plan and that petitioners had not demonstrated a practical difficulty required to meet…