A church wants to expand in Wayne Township, but a neighbor is concerned about the church's growth effects on her property.

Tuesday, Touch of Life Church petitioned the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance permitting a church addition 2 feet from the west side property line. The property is on the south side of Old U.S. 30 and 350 feet west of Zimmer Road in Wayne Township.

Dan Richard, Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission director, said the petitioners plan to put an addition on the southwest corner of the property zoned for public use. Minimum setback required in public use is 20 feet from the side. The petition first went to the hearing officer Monday, but the petitioner requested the petition go before the full BZA Tuesday.

A remonstrator, Richard said, was concerned about water runoff from the property, parking and access.

Rick Cooper, pastor of the church, said the county already granted the church a variance but the church needs two more feet. While they wouldn't want to do anything to adversely affect their neighbors, Cooper said, they need the expansion. There will be no parking or traffic in the back of the church and gutters will be increased from 4 to 6 inches to take care of the water runoff.

"I believe it's going to help the situation as far as the runoff goes," Cooper said.

With a better church facility, he also said, that likely will increase property values.

An additional 100-foot by 100-foot parking lot will be added to the south of the current parking lot "because we need it," said Cooper. The new wall of the church extension will have a better fire rating. "I feel like we're doing a great improvement," he said.

Mary Phillips, a neighbor, said she is concerned about the property line and damage in case of fire. Water runoff, parking and trash debris from the church's property also are concerns.

She said she doesn't want to cause the church any problems but she is concerned about her property's value. She alluded to a stipulation in a deed about the church expanding, which the BZA requested to see.

Charlie Haffner, BZA member, made a motion to table the petition until the 1 p.m. hearing Tuesday for the plan commission, petitioners and Phillips to gather more information.

At the 1 p.m. hearing, Richard said the files on the property were researched. In 1998, a variance was granted for an addition at 8 feet from the setback. As part of that approval, the church had to provide a surface water drainage plan, which Cooper said they would.

A copy of the deed mentioned by Phillips was looked at and Richard said the deed makes reference to a road setback, not side setbacks. "I really don't know if this would have any real bearing on what you're looking at today," Richard said.

The petition was approved with the conditions the church's trash dumpster be relocated, the water runoff controlled and the west side be blocked off to traffic.

The BZA heard 34 petitions Tuesday, including:

• Continued until May 10 at 8:30 a.m Boyde Stremme's variance petition to permit allowing a 12-foot by 12-foot shed to remain 15 feet from the water's edge and 26 feet from the water's edge. The property is on the west side of Island Lane and zero feet east of Palestine Lake in Harrison Township. The BZA continued the petition to verify that Stremme is cleaning up the property as he said he was.

• Approved Joe Gross' variance petition permitting the reconstruction of an existing residence 46 feet from the east road right of way and allow residence additions 26 feet from the east road right of way on the condition the property is cleaned up and meets Richard's approval. The property is on the west side of CR 375E and zero feet south of CR 450N in Plain Township.

Members of the BZA are Vic Virgil, Charlie Haffner, John Connolly, Walter Church and chairman Bob Beer. [[In-content Ad]]