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Board grants setback variance for storage building at 2701 East Lakeview Avenue
Summary
The Whitley County Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a variance reducing the required setback from 15 feet to 4 feet so John and Emily West may replace a shed with a larger storage building at 2701 East Lakeview Avenue; staff cited lot history and a vacated right-of-way that affects the property line.
The Whitley County Board of Zoning Appeals on June 23 unanimously approved a development-standards variance that will let John and Emily West build a storage structure at 2701 East Lakeview Avenue closer to the property line than code ordinarily allows.
Staff told the board the parcel, part of the Cedar Lake addition platted in 1923, recently gained a strip of land after the county vacated part of the right-of-way. Staff said the zoning code’s standard side-yard setback is 15 feet; the Wests requested a 4-foot setback from the property line, an approximate 11-foot variance that will place the building roughly 20 feet from the roadway edge. Senior planner Brent Tishner said health-department constraints around the property well limited options to relocate the building forward.
"We are trying to clean up the property," petitioner John West told the board, adding the new structure will store equipment and improve the appearance of the lot. His wife, Emily West, said the building will let them "put the lawnmower away" and clear clutter from the yard.
No members of the public spoke during the public hearing. A board member moved to approve the variance; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
After the vote a board member asked staff to address the number of lake-area variances when the comprehensive plan is reviewed, noting the board had received a comment letter about lake-area development pressures. Staff recorded the comment for the public record.
The variance approval applies only to the plan and site presented; any change in the existing vegetation, well location, or site configuration could require further review. The board did not attach additional conditions beyond those presented in the staff report. The Wests may proceed with permitting per the approved variance.
