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Board denies request to run bait shop from residence at 6924 North Wise Road
Summary
The Whitley County Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5–0 to deny a special exception request from Scott and Christina Wise to operate a bait shop from part of their residence at 6924 North Wise Road, citing parking, narrow road access and Lake Residential zoning concerns.
The Whitley County Board of Zoning Appeals denied a special-exception request from Scott and Christina Wise to operate a bait shop out of part of their residence at 6924 North Wise Road.
Staff told the board the proposal would convert roughly a 16-by-12-foot portion of an existing lake cottage into retail to sell live bait, tackle and sundry items, with proposed hours from dawn until about 7 p.m., one employee on-site at a time and gravel parking in front of the house. Staff noted the use is classified in the Lake Residential (LR) district as a special exception and flagged potential traffic generation on the narrow lake road but concluded the use could be appropriate under LR criteria if conditions addressed access and parking.
Petitioner Scott Wise told the board he and his wife recently bought the property and want to provide a nearby bait-and-sundry option for people visiting nearby lakes. “We thought it'd be a great place for a little bait store. The community needs one,” he said.
Two nearby residents told the board they support the idea but opposed the proposed location because of the road width and parking. Michael Vaughn, who lives at 6882 North Wise Road, said he measured the road at about 16.2 feet and warned that trucks towing 20-foot boats would block passage. “My biggest problem is the parking,” he said, describing situations where parked boats and trucks prevent other vehicles from getting through.
Sonia Rubreich, who lives a few houses away, said the road is too narrow to support additional traffic from trucks and trailers. “You can't pass two cars. Somebody always has to pull over,” she said.
Board members discussed the LR district’s purpose to protect residential character and noted the comprehensive plan’s guidance on focused, compatible growth. One board member said the idea is needed but the chosen site was a conflicting land use given nearby residences. Another member said traffic concerns on the tight lake road were significant.
A motion to deny special exception 26 W S E 3 (Scott and Christina Wise) was made and carried by a recorded vote of 5–0.
The decision was a denial of the special-exception request; the board encouraged the petitioners to pursue other locations more compatible with commercial activity near the lake.
