The Warsaw Plan Commission approved favorable recommendations Monday for amendments to the real estate sign and accessory structure ordinances.

According to city planner Jeff Noffsinger, Dan Wildaman and Fred Johnson, on behalf of the Kosciusko County Board of Realtors, petitioned the city to make a revision to the ordinance to allow directional real estate signs in the community.

The current ordinance prohibits off-premise directional signs and signs within the public right of way. According to Noffsinger's memo to the commission, the amendment will "clarify that real estate signs can be used as directional signs under the real estate sign section (of the ordinance) as long as they conform with the other provisions pertaining to height, size and location."

The proposed amendments for residential areas include a 6-foot height limit, a 4-square-foot size limit, a one-sign limit per zone lot, public right of way restriction and a requirement that signs must be removed within 10 days of the sale.

For commercial and industrial areas, signs cannot exceed 8 feet in height or 48 square feet in size. Only one sign is permitted per zone lot unless the property is on more than one street. Then a sign can be placed adjacent to each street. Signs cannot be on public rights of way and they should be removed from the property within 10 days of the sale.

The issue to change the ordinance pertaining to accessory buildings came up at the September Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. Some confusion in interpreting the ordinance was experienced and the board thought it would be a good idea to clarify the ordinance.

The amendment includes an 18-foot height limit and a 720- square-foot size limit. The ordinance also would limit one accessory building per lot.

The statement in the ordinance that caused most of the confusion was changed to:

"Accessory structures shall not be permitted before the erection and operation of the principal use except as a temporary use."

The BZA complained in September that the statement was too ambiguous for the city to interpret. Noffsinger cleared it up so that it wouldn't be misinterpreted.

Both ordinance amendments will go to the city council next week for review.

In other business:

• The plan commission approved both the preliminary and final plats for a minor subdivision at 1901 Ranch Road. The property is 3.5 acres and has both water and sewage present, said Noffsinger.

Noffsinger said his recommendation would be to approve both plats since the subdivision is only a minor one.

• The preliminary and final plat approvals and the secondary review for the development plan for the Greentree project were on the agenda this month. However, these will be continued at next month's meeting. The next meeting will be Jan. 8. at 7 p.m.

• The BZA met Monday before the plan commission. The only action taken was approving a 5- foot rear yard setback for Jim and Judy Dubbs at 412 W. Perry St. The next BZA meeting will be Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.

Members of the Warsaw Plan Commission are: Joe Thallemer, Dewey Lawshe, Jeff Grose, Bill Baldwin, Richard Keeven and Alan Clingan.

Members of the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals include: president Alan Clingan, Bruce Woodward, Leigh Ann Denlinger, Richard Keeven, Dan Hampton and City Council representative Trish Brown. [[In-content Ad]]