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Votes at a glance: Board of Zoning Appeals approves multiple variances and special uses
Summary
At its Feb. 20 meeting the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a slate of variances and special uses, including permits for business-living quarters, mobile homes, pole barns, driveway and setback variances, and site changes for a McDonald's; most items passed unanimously or by 6-0 votes.
The Board of Zoning Appeals convened Feb. 20 at the Civic Center Complex and approved a series of special-use permits and variances. Most motions passed unanimously by the six voting members present. Key outcomes:
- SPUDash2024Dash022 / VARDash2024Dash106 (7235 North Green River Road): The board approved a special use to allow business-associated living quarters (not for rental) for an existing pole barn and a variance to relax a required two-way drive aisle width from 24 feet to 11 feet and to allow gravel in lieu of paved parking/drive aisles in a C-4 zone. Vote: 6-0.
- SPUDash2025Dash001 (1105 North Fourth Avenue): Special use to allow a community garden for a charitable organization; approval limited to one year and minimum parking spaces set to 0. Vote: 6-0. (See separate article for details and public comments.)
- SPUDash2025Dash002 (400 Rechton Avenue): Special use approved to legally establish two existing mobile home units as part of the adjacent mobile home park; applicant represented by Ryan Parker. Vote: 6-0.
- VARDash2024Dash101 & VARDash2024Dash102 (4400 & 4220 North Saint Joseph Avenue): Variances approved to permit gravel in lieu of paved parking/drive aisles and construction within the thoroughfare setback for change of use to a contractor shop with no outdoor storage; applicant amended application to remove opaque fence request. Vote: 6-0 for each parcel.
- VARDash2024Dash104 (2200 North Fifth Avenue): Variance approved reducing required parking from 8 to 0 for an excavation contractor shop. Vote: 6-0. Neighbors and the school corporation raised concerns about gravel dust, fencing and heavy equipment; staff indicated enforcement on related parcels where work occurred without permits.
- VARDash2024Dash110 (1523 Cumberland Avenue): Variance approved for reduced side-yard setback on a corner lot and to allow a 6-foot fence in the front yard setback to recognize existing conditions and allow construction of an addition. Vote: 6-0.
- VARDash2024Dash111 (805 South Green River Road): Variance approved to allow construction within the 90-foot thoroughfare setback for a new coffee shop; applicant advised that road-widening would be an applicant risk. Vote: 6-0.
- BARDash2024Dash112 (11636 Bohannon Drive): Variance approved to legalize a widened residential driveway from 24 feet to 44 feet that was installed without permit. Vote: 6-0.
- VARDash2024Dash113 (2200 Orchard Road): Variance approved to increase allowable accessory-structure coverage to allow construction of a 5,200-square-foot pole barn for personal use and to legalize a prior unpermitted addition. Vote: 6-0.
- VARDash2025Dash001 (10351 Browning Road): Variance approved reducing the required front-yard setback for an accessory structure in front of the primary house from 200 feet to 30 feet to allow a new detached garage. Vote: 6-0.
- VARDash2025Dash002 (4631 & 4701 Lincoln Avenue): Variance approved to reduce required front-yard green space from 10 feet to 0 feet to allow reconfiguration of parking and the drive-through for an existing McDonald's; board discussed nearby bus-stop location and directed the applicant to coordinate with the Board of Public Works and city site-review staff. Vote: 6-0.
Routine procedural business included roll call, approval of the January meeting memorandum, and a reminder that petitions denied or withdrawn are not eligible for rehearing on the same property for 12 months unless the board acts unanimously.
Ending: Most items were approved with unanimous recorded votes of the six members present; staff flagged several sites where on-the-ground compliance (permits, paving, removal of unpermitted storage or fencing) remains under active review and enforcement.
