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4 Corners Winery seeks commercial zoning to avoid recurring variances
Summary
Owners of 4 Corners Winery asked Porter County planners to rezone their Washington Township property to a moderate commercial district so their winery and wedding/event venue no longer require five-year use variances; staff flagged driveway, septic and acreage-notice items and set the pathway through the planning commission and commissioners.
Diane Sasser and Mike Tisma told the Porter County Development Review Committee on March 5 they want to rezone their property at 294 East 600 North from rural residential to a moderate-intensity commercial district so their existing winery and seasonal wedding venue can operate without renewing use variances every five years.
Sasser described buying the dilapidated farm in 2010 and gradually reestablishing a winery (opened 2021) and a wedding venue (first wedding in 2017). She told the committee the venue now handles roughly 25–30 weddings a year, plus other events including craft fairs, a 5K run, food-truck festivals and a car show.
Planning staff said a moderate commercial zoning would permit the existing vineyard and venue uses without continued variances; Susan (planning staff) recommended a commercial district that matches current operations and noted that new parking or new buildings would trigger a full development plan and potential code upgrades.
Committee members confirmed there have been no persistent nuisance complaints; the owners said they adhere to time limits (music off by 10 p.m. on Sundays and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) and obtain health-department permits for food vendors and events. Health and building staff cautioned that as the owners build out the barn interior or increase attendance they may need to reassess septic sizing and obtain additional state approvals.
Highway and engineering staff told the applicants that if the parcel is rezoned the driveway approach from the edge of road to the right-of-way will need to be hard-surfaced to meet zoning standards; applicants said they previously obtained a permit for crushed-surface parking to preserve a farm aesthetic but understood hard-surfacing requirements apply to the right-of-way approach.
Staff also noted a published acreage discrepancy in the hearing announcement: the packet listed 13.78 acres, but GIS indicates about 10.84 acres. Planners asked the applicants to correct that figure for future hearings.
Susan explained the procedural path: the applicants will appear before the plan commission (planning commission) and, if recommended, the case will go to the county commissioners for a final zoning decision — a process staff estimated could take six to nine weeks depending on scheduling.
Next steps: applicants to prepare any necessary development plans if they add parking or buildings and to pursue the planning commission hearing (scheduled date noted by staff); staff also advised coordination with highway design on right-of-way and any federally funded projects nearby.
