Angola board approves fence variance so Methodist Church can host daycare play area

The Angola Board of Zoning Appeals on July 28 approved a development-standard variance to allow a 5-foot vinyl-coated chain-link fence near 220 West Maumee Street so Angola United Methodist Church can host the Vine Early Learning Center.

City planning staff told the board the daycare must provide fenced outdoor play areas to meet state licensing rules, and the church’s only available green space sits in what the city classifies as a front yard where fences are normally prohibited. Staff recommended approval, saying the proposed location preserves sight lines at the intersection and is the only practical outdoor area on the property.

Rita (staff member, planning department) presented the staff report, noting the owner is Angola United Methodist Church and the applicant is Jay Stevens. Rita said 36 property owners within 300 feet were notified and the legal notice ran in the Herald Republican on July 18. She advised the requested variance is from the development standard for fence location (section cited in application as 18-160-180) and that the site is in the downtown commercial zoning district. Rita told the board the site is not in a flood plain and that staff supports the variance because it will provide a safe outdoor area for children and is limited to the only green space on the lot.

Jay Stevens, applicant and representative for Angola United Methodist Church (865 E 20 N, Angola), described the plan and compliance steps. “We’re about 6 feet from the sidewalk,” Stevens said when explaining the fence setback and that he will verify utility right-of-way locations before construction. He said the church will add a sprinkler system (required for rooms used by children under 2½) and that the church plans to invest about $175,000 in building upgrades to meet licensing and fire-marshal requirements. Stevens said the Vine Early Learning Center will serve children from 6 months to 6 years and needs separate outdoor play areas for each class to comply with the 50-square-feet-per-child outdoor-space rule cited by staff.

Board members reviewed the required findings of fact and agreed that the variance would not be injurious to public health, safety or welfare, would not substantially harm adjacent property values, and that strict application of the ordinance would cause practical difficulty because state licensing requires fenced outdoor space for childcare facilities. A motion to approve case 2025DZA07001 carried; the board recorded the outcome as approved.

Rita said the applicant still must obtain a local fence permit and that the city will issue a final determination letter and follow up on permit submittal. Stevens acknowledged the church must wait for the state design release and state fire-marshal approval before construction; he said the church expects to aim for moving the daycare before the end of the year but that the timeline is uncertain.

The board’s approval allows the applicant to proceed with local permitting once state clearances are complete.