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Votes at a glance: Elkhart BZA approves sign, auto‑sales, park expansion and other variances; denies parking waiver for Mberry infill
Summary
The Elkhart City Board of Zoning Appeals on April 9 approved a projecting sign variance, two commercial use variances (auto sales and a drive‑thru coffee shop), industrial and fence variances and an expansion of Oler Park; it denied requests to waive off‑street parking and to reduce the rear‑yard setback for a proposed duplex at 431 Mberry St.
The Elkhart City Board of Zoning Appeals took action April 9 on multiple petitions. The board approved a projecting‑sign variance for a River District building at 302 E. Jackson Blvd., granted a two‑year conditional use variance allowing used auto sales on a vacant lot on South Main, and approved a drive‑thru coffee shop use variance for a property on West Franklin Street, subject to technical review. The board also approved an expansion and special‑exception permit for Oler Park at 626 W. Cleveland Ave., and granted industrial fencing relief for a new manufacturing campus at 4800 Briscola Court.
On housing, the board split its action: it approved variances related to lot frontage and corner‑side setbacks for a proposed infill residence at 431 Mberry St., but denied the petitioner’s requests to waive off‑street parking and to reduce the rear‑yard setback. Staff had recommended denial of the parking waiver and the rear setback without a revised site plan that provides off‑street parking.
Key formal actions (motion language condensed from the hearing): - 26‑BZA‑06 (302 E. Jackson Blvd., River District Development LLC): Motion to approve the sign variance and adopt staff findings — approved. Roll call (as read aloud): Lightman: yes; Lindley: yes; New bill: yes; Bonjoff: yes.
- 26‑UV‑07 (vacant lot, 2000 block S. Main; Next Inc. LLC): Motion to approve the use variance with staff conditions including technical review, a 21‑ft residential buffer, landscape/maintenance standards, limited 2‑year approval and rehearing April 2028 — approved. Roll call: Lightman: yes; Lindley: yes; New bill: yes; Evander Rickoff: yes.
- 26‑X01 (Oler Park expansion, 626 W. Cleveland Ave.; City of Elkhart & Irmine Meadows): Motion to approve special exception and adopt staff findings, with an added condition verifying the Irmine Meadows parcel title transfer to the parks department by July 1 — approved. Roll call: Lightman: yes; Lindley: yes; Newville: yes; Devon Rickoff: yes.
- 26‑BCA‑07 (St. Vincent / playground fence wrap): Motion to approve a variance to allow an opaque fabric screen for student safety — approved. Roll call: Lightman: yes; Lindley: yes; New bill: yes; Vanja Rickoff: yes.
- 26‑UV‑08 (21101 W. Franklin St.; K&J Property LLC): Motion to approve the use variance for a drive‑thru coffee shop with the condition that full civil/traffic/technical review is completed — approved. Roll call: Lightman: yes; Lley: yes; New bill: yes; AR: yes.
- 26‑BCA‑09 (4800 Briscola Ct., RCB4 LLC): Motion to approve a 6‑ft chain‑link fence with a one‑foot three‑strand barbless wire in the corner sideyard for safety around a retention pond — approved. Roll call: Lightman: yes; Lindley: yes; New bill: yes; Evan Rakov: yes.
- 26‑BCA‑11 (431 Mberry St., proposed two‑family): The board approved variances for lot frontage and certain corner sideyard relief but voted against the petition to eliminate off‑street parking and against the reduced rear‑yard setback; staff had recommended revised plans showing some off‑street parking. Final roll call on the denied items (as recorded): Lightman: no; Lindley: no; New bill: no; Araff: no.
The board ended the meeting after taking the recorded votes. Several items will return for technical review or rehearing where conditions require (notably the two‑year review of the auto‑sales approval and verification of the park land transfer).
