The Avon Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to approve VRU 25-08, allowing wellness and beauty services (such as hair and nail salons, barbershops and massage) in one proposed building at the RISE Avon development at 1691 S. Ronald Reagan Parkway. The approval was limited to the building identified as Building 16 on the site plan and is subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Planning staff described the request and the site’s history, including rezoning and a 2021 development plan review, and said the project meets the five required findings for a use variance. Planning staff recommended approval, saying, “we would recommend approval of this variance request” while noting the recommendation would be conditioned to limit the permitted personal-service uses to Building 16.

Petitioner Joel Bruns, representing RISE Commercial District, told the board RISE operates incubator-style small warehouses and flex spaces and has used the model at multiple locations. Bruns said the company frequently fields requests from prospective tenants for salon and wellness space and that offering those uses in Building 16 would meet local demand while fitting the site’s design. “We are a family owned, real estate developer and operator of small warehouses,” Bruns said, describing the development model and tenant mix.

Board members questioned whether the variance should apply to a building or to a specific unit; staff confirmed the approval as recommended would apply to the building and that the staff condition limits it to Building 16. Members also pressed staff on the hardship finding and traffic implications. Staff and the petitioner said the proposed salon space fronts Ronald Reagan Parkway with public-facing parking and that heavier industrial uses and truck traffic are concentrated behind the gated areas, reducing potential conflicts with customers.

Several members praised the incubator-style concept as filling a local gap in small-business space. Catherine Ransberg moved to approve the variance under the adopted findings of fact and subject to the staff report’s condition; Marcy Taschler seconded. The roll call vote recorded Paul Guggenberger, Anne Inman, Catherine Ransberg, Marcy Taschler and Marcus Turner voting in favor; the motion carried unanimously.

The board also approved the meeting minutes from Nov. 18, 2025, earlier in the session. The board noted no additional public commenters on VRU 25-08. The board adjourned after briefly noting calendar items and confirming its next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.