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BZA orders removal of semi‑trailers by Jan. 1 after neighborhood complaints about rodents and site conditions
Summary
After multiple remonstrants described rodent infestation, vehicle damage and long‑standing on‑site storage, the board voted to require Leon Clark to remove three semi‑trailers from his Union Mills property by the first of the year or pursue permitted alternatives with the Building Department.
The LaPorte County Board of Zoning Appeals voted Oct. 21 to require Leon Clark to remove three semi‑trailers used for storage from his Union Mills property by Jan. 1, following extensive public testimony about rodents, property conditions and nuisance concerns.
Clark told the board he had used the trailers for storage since about 2013 and that the trailers remained on wheels and could be moved; he said he has been rehabilitating vehicles and using the trailers as storage while he considered building a permanent structure. Multiple neighbors — including Dwight and Jody Ames, Melody Dudley, Kip Senso and Catherine Flannery — spoke in opposition, describing several years of trailers and vehicles on the property, reports of rodent droppings found in cars, perceived declines in property values, and concerns about contamination and public‑health risks.
Board members discussed enforcement options and alternatives. At least one member offered to waive an application fee if Clark applied for a pole barn. Ultimately the board moved that the trailers be removed by Jan. 1; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Clark was advised to pursue a pole barn or other permitted structure through the Building Department if he wished to store equipment on site legally.
