Drainage board approves 40-foot easement setback for Pontius property, contingent on shed removal

The Kosciusko County Drainage Board on its April meeting approved a variance to reduce the drainage easement to 40 feet for a Pontius property in the Silver Lake area, contingent on removal of a shed that sits against the ditch foundation.

Chair introduced the application and said the existing shed is located immediately adjacent to the ditch and that removing it would improve the board’s ability to maintain the channel. He told the board the property previously held a reduced right-of-way variance and that the proposed 40-foot setback would allow the homeowner to build a deck while preserving room for maintenance.

The chair recommended approval conditioned on the shed’s removal and noted the owner has until the end of the month to relocate it; if the shed is not removed, the chair said he would assume responsibility for its removal. The board moved, seconded and approved the setback reduction by voice vote; no individual roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript.

The board’s approval is a variance to the usual easement width and does not, in itself, record any action on permits or building inspections. The chair said the change would ‘‘allow us more than enough room to do our maintenance work’’ and that the approval will be contingent on the shed being removed.

Next steps: the homeowner must remove the shed as agreed for the variance to remain effective; the transcript does not specify who will verify removal or exact deadlines beyond the chair’s stated timeline.