Fishers BZA OKs three-year extension for portable classrooms to support church counseling ministry

The Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously on Aug. 27, 2025, to approve a variance allowing portable classrooms to remain for three additional years at 13222 East 126th Street so a church can develop a counseling ministry.

The board heard from petitioner Dave Brown, who identified himself as the pastor of ministries and said the congregation has grown rapidly since launching and now needs temporary space to support children’s programming and a proposed counseling director position. Brown said the counseling services would be offered to both church members and the wider community and that the church has opened a search for a counseling director.

Planner Grace Wiley told the board the request is for an exception to the Unified Development Ordinance provision that limits portable classrooms to two years. She said the property is in a low-density suburban residential area and that the site already carries a special exemption allowing a place of worship. Staff reported a prior variance granted in September 2022 that allowed two temporary classrooms for up to three years, noted no public comments had been submitted for this hearing, and listed conditions that staff would recommend if the board approved the petition, including recording the approval with the Hamilton County recorder and maintaining the exterior improvements.

Board members questioned whether the church expects to rely on the portables for the full three years and whether previously stated maintenance commitments (painting and replacing metal) would continue; Brown said the congregation may still face capacity pressures in three years but intends to build permanent space if needed and confirmed it would continue the maintenance commitments.

After discussion, a board member moved to approve the petition with the recording and maintenance conditions; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote. The recorded roll call showed affirmative votes from the members called by the chair, and the motion was declared passed.

The board’s approval is conditioned on the listed documentation being recorded in the Hamilton County recorder’s office and on the petitioner’s continued adherence to the exterior maintenance commitments made previously. Future extensions beyond the approved three years would require additional board action.

Notes on names in the record: the agenda and staff materials refer to the site as “Edington Park Church” while the petitioner used the name “Pennington Park” in his remarks; that discrepancy is recorded in the transcript and was not resolved during the hearing.