Board of Zoning Appeals approves variance for bingo hall at 1811 Germantown Road

The Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve an area and dimensional variance for 1811 Germantown Road on April 1, 2026, allowing an existing commercial building to be used as a bingo hall.

Planning staff told the board the 1.1665-acre parcel contains a 4,992-square-foot commercial structure built in 1967 and located in a B2 Community Business District. Staff read the city zoning definition for an indoor recreational facility and said the use-specific standard requires structures to be set back 50 feet from lot lines; the building’s current setbacks are approximately 57 feet (west), 25 feet (north), 343 feet (east) and 49 feet (south). Staff said the applicant seeks a 50% reduction of the northern setback and a 2% reduction of the southern setback so the existing building can remain in its present location. “Staff does not find the applicable review criteria for the request and finds the variance to be a substantial deviation from the city's adopted zoning regulations,” the staff member stated during the report.

Property owner who identified himself at the hearing as Mark Schneider told the board he owns the rear buildings and will allow the applicant to use overflow parking there. “There’s going to be plenty of parking there for her on that end,” Schneider said, adding that a natural tree buffer separates the site from the adjacent campground to the north.

Applicant Leah Allen, who said she runs a charity called Giving Without Boundaries, described previous experience operating a bingo hall and gave the board the proposed hours: Sunday afternoons (doors at 12 p.m., games 1–3/4 p.m.) and Monday evenings (doors at 5 p.m., games 6–10 p.m.), with occasional late-night events. “We feed needy families. We do Christmas, Thanksgiving, we do gifts, coats, clothes, whatever they need,” Allen said, explaining that proceeds would support the charity.

Board members asked about whether an administrative waiver could address the south setback (staff said the south could be handled administratively but the north could not), whether a variance remains with the property if the use ceases, and access to rear buildings. No members of the public spoke in opposition during the hearing.

During deliberations several board members cited the existing building placement, the buffer to the north, and economic impracticality of relocating the structure as reasons supporting the variance; one member framed findings around neighborhood character and special conditions. A motion to approve the variance was made on the record (the discussion named AJ Menel in support of the motion) and was seconded. Recorded votes in the transcript show 'yes' votes from Mr. Cash, Mr. Waker, Mr. Menel, Mr. Heinrich and Mr. Gross; no 'no' votes were recorded on the minutes provided.

The transcript contains an inconsistency in the staff materials that identified the property owner as “Mike Schneider” while the person who testified identified himself as Mark Schneider; the record in the hearing reflects the owner’s spoken identification as Mark Schneider. The board closed the meeting after noting no other business and referencing a planning commission training on April 23.

Votes at a glance: motion to approve area and dimensional variance for Case 3-26 (1811 Germantown Road); mover: AJ Menel (as identified in discussion); second: not specified in the transcript; recorded votes — David Cash: yes; Stephan Waker: yes; AJ Menel: yes; Mr. Heinrich: yes; Gary Gross: yes. Outcome: approved.