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Angola City appeals board to pursue targeted updates to Unified Development Ordinance to cut routine variances
Summary
Board of Zoning Appeals staff told members they will pursue targeted updates to the city's Unified Development Ordinance to reduce recurring variances on driveway width, minimum downtown apartment size, lake setbacks and other items; changes will be vetted by departments and must go to plan commission and council.
Speaker 1 told the Board of Zoning Appeals that staff are launching a focused review of the city's Title 18 Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) aimed at reducing recurring variances and making routine approvals easier.
The review will consider several frequent variance topics, Speaker 1 said: driveway-width standards, minimum downtown apartment size, certain front-yard and lake-residential setbacks, and an anomalous second-floor setback rule. "We've been doing variances left and right," Speaker 1 said, noting that the board processed 25 variances in 2023 and 19 in 2024. "If they're having to do these studios and people wanna live in these studios and they're 500 square foot, why can't we do that?" Speaker 1 added that safety, life-safety and stormwater impacts will govern any change.
Why it matters: staff said the statewide push for higher-density and more-affordable housing, combined with repeated variance requests, motivates a targeted UDO update. The change is intended to reduce administrative burden for applicants and the board while preserving public-safety protections.
Key proposals and staff checks - Driveway width: staff reported that the street and engineering departments indicated many variances to widen driveways (commonly from a nominal 20-foot standard) could be accommodated safely up to 30 feet in many locations; staff will seek department sign-off before proposing code changes. - Minimum downtown unit size: the board's current minimum for downtown commercial apartments is 800 sq ft; staff noted many recent downtown conversions and private developments have smaller studio units and are regularly seeking variances. Staff will study comparable municipalities and habitability standards before recommending a change. - Lake-residential setbacks (Fox Lake): staff said Fox Lake lots are often small and the UDO currently requires 8-foot setbacks; county contacts reported 5-foot setbacks are common. Staff will consult fire and stormwater authorities before proposing an amendment. - Second-floor setback anomaly: staff flagged a rule that currently sets an 8-foot first-floor setback but a 12-foot second-floor setback; planners and peer jurisdictions could not justify the distinction, and staff indicated they will remove or correct that provision in the first round of clean-up edits.
Process and next steps: Speaker 1 said staff plan an initial, limited set of changes within the first four to six months, followed by a larger review later in the year. Changes will be run past affected departments (engineering, streets, fire), discussed with planners in the Northeast Region and presented to the plan commission for recommendation and then to city council for final action. Staff noted they may ask for one or two volunteers from the BZA or plan commission to review draft changes but will avoid forming a permanent committee.
Staff cautioned that text amendments that raise safety, lot-coverage or stormwater concerns will not be made without thorough review. The board was asked to review the packet materials at home and email Planner Grama Hessman with any questions or suggested edits.
The board did not take any legislative action at this meeting; staff committed to returning with draft language and department input for the board and plan commission to consider.
