Scott County Board of Adjustment approves 2-foot variance to allow 26-foot accessory building in Louisville Township

The Scott County Board of Adjustment approved a two-foot height variance on Jan. 12, 2026, allowing an accessory building to reach 26 feet on a 10-acre property in Section 22 of Louisville Township. The board voted in favor by voice vote and the variance was adopted.

Associate planner Nathan Haller told the board the property is about 10 acres on County Highway 69 (Old Brick Yard Road) and contains an existing home, an attached garage and a detached accessory building of about 2,800 square feet. The applicant proposes a new roughly 2,000-square-foot detached building located about 20 feet north of the existing detached building; the structure would be more than 500 feet from the roadway and 148 feet from the nearest property line. Staff said the property is not eligible for the agricultural-structure exemption, so the applicant sought a variance to exceed the 24-foot maximum accessory-building height.

“The additional building height is needed for their agricultural equipment,” Haller said, summarizing the applicant’s rationale. The Louisville Township board reviewed the request and recommended approval; staff recommended approval based on the eight criteria for variances in the staff report, and a neighboring property owner submitted a written letter of support that was included in meeting materials.

Applicant Kevin Lusignan explained to commissioners that when he applied for a building permit he understood the application to allow a 24-foot eave height but that peak/roof measurements were not explicit on the permit form. “When I applied for the building permit, it said I could go 24 feet on the eve height. And it had said nothing about what the peak was gonna be,” Lusignan said.

Zoning administrator Marty Schmitz clarified the county’s measurement: on a pitched roof the building height is measured to the midpoint of the truss. “On this drawing, you can see to the midpoint of the truss, the building will be 25.3 feet tall,” Schmitz said, noting the applicant’s plans showed approximately 25.3 feet to the midpoint of the truss and that the applicant may not have understood that calculation when ordering the prefabricated building.

Commissioners asked whether the interior clearance was needed for equipment operations; the applicant described using an overhead crane to work on hay-rack wagons and other custom work and said he sometimes stores up to 40 round bales. After closing the public hearing a member moved and a second was offered; the board voted in favor by voice vote and the variance was approved.

Next steps: the applicant must obtain a building permit and meet all building department requirements before construction. Staff said it will follow up to clarify permit instructions to avoid similar misunderstandings in the future.