Portage County board approves Richardson petition to run home-based catering and food‑truck prep with conditions

The Portage County Board of Adjustment on March 25 approved special exceptions and a variance permitting Stefan and Nicole Richardson to use part of a residence at 821 County Road S in the Town of Carson as a commercial catering/preparation kitchen and base for food‑truck activity, subject to eight conditions listed by the board.

Nicole Richardson, the petitioner, told the board she bought the property from family, plans to build a home and operate a competition barbecue/catering operation, and that "the kitchen is solely only being used for preparing food" for delivery or loading onto a food truck rather than for diners on-site. She said the business would initially rely largely on family help but could employ others as it grows.

Staff told the board the zoning request bundles three special exceptions and a variance tied to sanitary provisions, a proposed sign and the county’s home‑occupation rules limiting non‑family employees. Staff recommended separate holding tanks for commercial kitchen waste to avoid overloading a domestic septic system, and the packet included suggested conditions for permitting and inspections.

Town of Carson representative John Jeth Jeske explained the town reviewed the application, noted the proposal is a prep kitchen rather than a restaurant and raised questions about how square footage is calculated and about traffic on the county road. Neighbors asked about sight lines and whether larger vehicles or passing zones near the driveway could become safety issues; the board and staff said the highway department has been notified about driveway locations.

During deliberations a board member moved to approve petition 202070 with eight conditions recorded in the motion. Those conditions as stated on the record required obtaining applicable county sanitary provisions/permits and any Health & Human Services licenses, payment of any required drive/permit fees, limits on signs and on-site illumination, a cap on the number of food trucks and trailers allowed to operate at the location, a limit on non‑family employees (the petitioners had discussed five as a possibility), and a prohibition on on‑site food consumption for customers. The motion was seconded and the board carried the motion.

The decision includes the standard instructional language about the right to appeal administrative decisions; parties should consult county procedural notices for exact appeal steps and deadlines. The board also reminded petitioners that separate state or county permits (for example, sanitary, stormwater or cutting/woodland permits if clearing is needed) remain necessary before construction or changes commence.

Next steps for the Richardsons include applying for the required county sanitary/health permits and any driveway/driveway‑permit work with the highway department and following the conditions set by the board.