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Elkhart BZA upholds ADU use but denies size variance after neighborhood objections
Summary
After hours of public comment, the Elkhart City Board of Zoning Appeals approved allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) under strict conditions but denied the variance that would have permitted the petitioner's 748-sq-ft unit to remain as-is, requiring stick-built construction, street-facing orientation and a deed restriction for owner occupancy.
The Elkhart City Board of Zoning Appeals on March 12 voted to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in principle for a property at 1746 E. Beardsley Ave but denied the petitioner's request to keep the currently installed unit at its existing size and placement.
Nicole Hoban Dobler, the property owner and petitioner, told the board she placed the 748-square-foot unit in her backyard to care for her aging mother, saying she had “done everything I need to do to be compliant” and that the unit is hooked to existing utilities. She said added costs — including an inspector-required cement crawlspace — increased the project's expense and argued reversing earlier approval would cause undue hardship.
Neighbors, however, urged the board to deny parts of the…
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