DeKalb County plat committee approves Brandenberger Estate minor subdivision amid neighbors’ concerns over cattle barn, odors and runoff

The DeKalb County Plan Commission plat committee voted to approve primary and secondary plat approval for petition 26‑05, the Brandenberger Estate minor subdivision, at its March 3, 2026 meeting.

The application, filed in the name of John L. and Dolores E. Brandenberger, concerns a roughly 47.23‑acre parent parcel on the north side of State Road 8, approximately 0.7 mile east of the intersection of State Road 8 and East Auburn Drive in Auburn. Planning staff reported the proposed net lot area as 46.167 acres, proposed lot width of 1,281.84 feet, proposed Lot 1 frontage of 608.8 feet, and showed a 60‑foot right‑of‑way dedication along State Road 8 as part of the plat.

Neighbors who spoke during the public comment period said the proposed use and barn raised quality‑of‑life and environmental concerns. James Wolf (3968 State Road 8) said he routinely experiences offensive odors from nearby cattle operations and voiced worry that manure runoff could reach a county drainage tile that crosses his property. "I don't wanna smell it," Wolf said, asking the commission why the county tile "stops at 8." Christy Roboth (4710 County Road 39) asked whether the lot could be further divided in the future, whether the barn might operate commercially with semi traffic on County Road 39, and how manure would be managed. "What's that gonna do, to local water supply?" she asked.

Applicant John Brandenburger (4993 County Road 41) told the committee the property would remain in agriculture and described a manure‑handling plan: cattle would be kept in the barn and a local farmer, Michael Grama, had agreed to take and spread manure on land that needs it. "We're gonna keep agriculture," Brandenburger said, adding he wants to continue farming.

A nearby resident, Britney Rowe (4002 State Road 8), asked whether the barn would be sited toward the front of the lot or at the rear and said increased odor would lower property values and limit outdoor enjoyment. She also raised concern about downhill flooding carrying manure into county tile.

Planning staff and the chair responded with procedural and technical clarifications. The chair noted that the county's use of the term "subdivision" can simply mean splitting a parcel and that the current application allows one buildable home on the new lot; additional buildable splits would require a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals. Staff said plats of this type typically must include a drainage plan that is subject to review and approval by the county drainage board, a step intended to address runoff and prevent uncontrolled discharge into county tile. Staff also flagged agricultural covenant language for the plat, which would require lot owners to acknowledge surrounding agricultural land uses and referenced Indiana Code 34‑1‑52‑4 in the covenant text.

Committee member Jason Carnahan moved to approve primary and secondary plat approval of petition 26‑05; Suzanne Davis seconded. The roll call recorded 'yes' votes from Suzanne Davis, Jason Carnahan and Alicia Rogers; the motion carried as recorded on the meeting record.

Next steps noted on the record include the required drainage‑board review of any drainage plan submitted with the plat. The committee set its next meeting for May 7, 2026 at 8:30 a.m.