BZA approves 3‑room tourist home on Ford Ridge Road with management and driveway conditions

The Brown County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special exception (docket 26‑SED‑01) to allow a three‑guestroom tourist home on a 5‑acre property at 7120 Ford Ridge Road in Hamblin Township.

Staff reported the property is vacant, outside the 100‑year floodplain, and that the Brown County Health Department (permit 25‑35425) had approved a four‑bedroom presby septic design and inspection on 11/12/2025. The proposed 1,936‑square‑foot single‑story home would provide about 748 square feet of guest space (exceeding the 50 sq. ft. per guest guideline for eight guests) and includes parking for six vehicles. Staff recommended approval with conditions: meet all tourist‑home guidelines; cap occupancy at eight guests; use a local management company; obtain and pass a driveway inspection by the Hamblin Township Volunteer Fire Department after driveway construction; mark property boundaries and provide a map to guests; and post a notice that firearms discharge is prohibited.

The petitioner and manager (represented by voice 12) said Brown County Vacation Rentals will manage the property and include quiet‑hours terms in rental agreements and use downward‑facing, low‑wattage exterior lighting to limit nighttime impacts. "We put that in our rental agreement ... quiet hours are set and we try to keep everything as community friendly as possible," the manager said.

Board members asked about lighting and noise; staff read a letter from nearby property owners who voiced concern about potential impacts but did not oppose the petition. The board moved and unanimously approved the special exception with the staff‑recommended conditions.

The approval requires the petitioner to satisfy the listed conditions before operating the tourist home; the board recorded the decision in its docket.