SYRACUSE -ÊIf a petitioner withdraws a petition before the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals votes on it, the petitioner can bring it back before the board at a later time.

Two petitioners decided to do just that Thursday.

Reasa Rinker petitioned the BZA for an exception for the placement of a residence in a commercially zoned district and to allow two uses on one tract of ground in a commercial district. The property is on the west side of Harkless Drive and 400 feet north of Ind. 13.

The contractor contacted the zoning board and asked the petition be withdrawn. The board agreed.

Another petitioner, Scott Richey, withdrew his petition for a variance to permit a tract of ground to be split, creating an undersized lot of 8,000 square feet. Ordinances require 10,000 square feet. The property is on the south side of Pearl Street and 66 feet east of Huntington Street.

The petitioner wants to get the property surveyed and discuss his options with an attorney before bringing the petition before the planners.

Zoning board members said they were reluctant to approve it because splitting the property would make the lot much smaller than ordinance allows.

In another petition, the zoning board continued Dr. Richard Craig's petition for a nonconforming use by allowing a residential accessory building in a commercial district. The property already has a residence on it. The property is on the south side of Main Street and 66 feet west of Harrison Street.

While there were no remonstrators, board chairman Mike Brouwer said he didn't feel comfortable about making a decision on the petition without the petitioner present. Board member Steve Sharp agreed, saying he didn't want to set a precedent.

Matt Sandy, assistant planner with the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission, said there was also some concern that Craig was living in a residence on property that was zoned commercial. The zoning board asked Sandy to do some research about whether or not Craig's residence on the commercial property was approved.

The petition was continued to the Jan. 20 meeting.

A petition by Gregory Brunsell for a variance allowing more than one principle use on a tract of ground and for a premise parking variance was approved unanimously by the board. The property, on the east side of Fifth Street and Ind. 13 and zero feet south of Chicago Street, will have a Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and flower shop. The premise parking variance will allow 23 parking spaces when 29 are required.

Also, the construction of a new facade 20 feet from the east right-of-way and 30 feet from the north right-of-way was approved.

Last month, the board approved the petition provided that the within seven days, the petitioner return a signed affidavit that adjacent neighbors were notified. The notification was not presented at the November meeting. The petitioner failed to do so within the given time so the petition had to be reheard Thursday.

Larry Coplen's petition was approved, but not exactly the way he wanted it to be approved.

He was petitioning for a variance to construct a new single-family residence with an attached garage 12.5 feet from the road right-of-way, 7 feet, 2 inches from the west property line and 10 feet, 10 inches from the south side property line.

Instead of the 12.5 feet from the road right-of-way, however, the zoning board granted the petition at 18 feet. Coplen was against the petition being at 18 feet because it would cause him to lose one bay of a three-car garage.

The property is on the south side of North Shore Drive and 340 feet east of W.E. Long Street.

The quickest decision by the zoning board was for Robert Houser's petition for an exception to allow an accessory building to remain on a tract of ground without a principle structure, but with another accessory building, in a residential district. The property is on the north side of Pickwick Road and 2,400 feet east of Ind. 13.

Members of the Syracuse BZA include: Brouwer, Sharp, Stan Insley, Jon Brookmyer and Barb Carwile. [[In-content Ad]]