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Michigan City BZA approves press-box height variance for high‑school sports complex with buffer condition
Summary
The Michigan City Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance allowing a press box at Michigan City High School to exceed the 35‑foot height limit by 4½ feet, contingent on a 10‑foot buffer with berm, fence and trees along the residential side.
The Michigan City Board of Zoning Appeals voted May 12 to grant petition B‑104‑26, allowing Michigan City High School’s new sports complex press box to rise to 39 feet 6 inches, about 4½ feet above the R‑1C district maximum.
The petitioner, represented by project executive Nick Van Waren of Fanning Howie and project manager Jeanette Moline, said the small press box provides an unobstructed view “so that [coaches and broadcasters] can broadcast and discuss with each other what’s happening on game day.” Jeanette Moline summarized the request: “We are here to request a variance to exceed by about 4 and a half feet the maximum building height in R‑1C District for a press box.”
Why it mattered: Planning staff reported no objections from the water and police departments and recommended approval, noting the proposed increase is “minimal” and that high‑school stadiums commonly reach about 40 feet. To address impacts, staff recommended a condition requiring the petitioner to install a minimum 10‑foot buffer along the east property line that includes a 3‑foot berm, a chain‑link fence and a tree planted every 10 feet; the buffer must be installed before opening and approved by the planning director.
Board discussion focused on the location and scope of the buffer. A public commenter, Scott Meland of Kenwood Place, said he supported the variance but requested clarity on whether the berm runs along the entire sports‑complex perimeter; planning staff confirmed the buffer applies only along the residential side adjacent to the development.
The motion to approve the petition, including the planning department’s comments and the buffer condition, passed on a roll‑call vote: Ricky Jackson — yes; Bridal/Frank Clinder — yes; Kathy Stransky — yes; Carol Spritzer — absent; Brian Gross — yes.
What happens next: The petitioner must install the buffer and obtain planning director approval prior to opening operations. The board did not change the planning department’s recommendation or the attorney’s report at the time of the vote.
