Two petitions for communications towers faced some resistance at the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Tuesday.

Both petitions were by Centennial Communications.

Their petition to put a tower and building in an agricultural district on the east side of Ind. 15 and one-fourth mile north of CR 800N in Van Buren Township was continued to the December meeting.

The tower would be 250 feet high.

The BZA has five members, but only four were present, and they were split on whether to approve or deny the petition.

Charles Cofer, representative for Centennial, said the tower is needed to enhance their business and provide better service for their customers. The tower also would meet the federal requirements to provide 911 service for cellular communications.

BZA member Ron Sharp asked if a tower is needed every five miles. Cofer said it depends on the topography and other variables. The towers also could provide service to three other carriers. Cofer said there is a lot of irrigation in the area which they tried to avoid.

Concern about the irrigation for area farmland was one reason zoning board member Vic Virgil was against the petition. There is potential for irrigation there, he said.

The tower, Cofer said, is being placed on the property of Thomas Morehouse. Adjacent property owner Charles Adams asked if the tower would be self-supporting. Sharp said, "That's what they claim."

There were no remonstrators.

Sharp motioned to approve and board member Charlie Haffner seconded it, but Virgil and Bob Beer opposed.

Centennial's petition for a communication tower and building in an agricultural district on both sides of CR 750E and zero feet north of CR 500N in Tippecanoe Township was unanimously denied. The tower would be 300 feet high.

Cofer presented the board with a letter from the tower engineer and manufacturer stating the towers are designed to collapse on themselves. Joe Lawson, also with Centennial, said the tower would be 150 feet off CR 750E.

Beer said he found it disingenuous that Centennial says the tower will collapse on itself but then provides information that where a tower may fall is hard to predict.

There were no remonstrators to the petition.

Cofer asked if their main objection was that the tower was too close to the road and power lines.

Haffner said it was. He said the fall zone of a tower must not come into contact with a residential area, road or wires.

Virgil motioned to deny because the tower needs to fall as far as the height of the tower and away from power lines, which would not be true with this petition.

In other business, the board:

• Approved Duane Hallstrom's petition for placement of a storage shed 18 feet from the road right-of-way. The property is on the east side of EMS B61I Lane and 1,400 feet west of EMS B61I Lane in Tippecanoe Township.

• Approved Wade Stephenson's petition for a home occupation in an agricultural district, with the stipulation that there be no outside storage. Stephenson's home occupation will be computer design and manufacturing. The property is on the west side of CR 700W and 1,320 feet north of CR 800S in Seward Township.

• Denied Ira and Nancy Lewis's petition for an exception but approved their petition for a variance. The variance permits the reconstruction of a porch 25 feet from the road right-of-way. The property is on the west side of Packerton Road and 1,320 feet north of Ind. 14 in Lake Township.

• Approved Wanda Wyrick's petition for a variance to build a 10-foot by 10-foot deck 2 feet, 6 inches from the north property line and 28 feet from the water's edge. The BZA's approval is contingent on approval from the town of North Webster.

• Approved Yong and Ky Phoun's petition for a variance to allow a preschool, beauty salon and security caretaker residence on one tract of property. The approval is contingent on approval from the town of North Webster. The property is on the south side of Esterbrook Drive and zero feet east of Ind. 13 in Tippecanoe Township.

• Denied Rebecca Hartley's petition for a variance to permit the construction of a second story 2 feet from the east property line and 20 feet from the water's edge. The property is on the south side of Kalorama Road and 1,100 feet north of Paton's Point in Tippecanoe

Township.

The zoning board had approximately 42 cases before them Tuesday.

Members of the county BZA include Vic Virgil, Ron Sharp, Charlie Haffner, Bob Beer and Walter Church.

They meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]