Marvin Burl and Nelda Love's request to operate a floral shop at 1422 E. Center St. was approved by the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Monday. The property was occupied by Interiors One-Three and is zoned R-2 residential.

The comprehensive plan and restrictions along the Center Street "corridor" allow for commercial use in an R-2 zone as long as parking, lighting, signing and landscaping can retain the aspects of a residential neighborhood.

The request was tabled from last month. Neither the petitioners nor the plan department made any changes in the application. Burl and Love operate several Love Bugs in Wabash County. One 16-square-foot, 7-foot-high freestanding sign will be allowed, along with one wall sign at the back of the property, instead of the two wall signs requested. An attached cooler will be allowed as long as the exterior matches the building's siding.

A curb cut off Sherman Street was approved as well as paving the "back yard" of the property. A 6-foot fence is to be constructed between the floral shop and the neighboring property. A 3-foot landscape border is to go along the alley to the south and along Sherman Street to block the view of the parking lot. Low-wattage landscape lighting, shining up on the house, will be allowed.

Burl and Love indicated there would be no more than four employees. Business hours were set as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The shop may be open for design work only on Sundays prior to a holiday or to fill floral orders for funeral services.

Luke Becknell appeared before the board with use variances and exceptions from developmental standards for two properties - 715 and 721 E. Center St. Currently, Today's Headlines, a beauty shop, occupies 721 E. Center St. To the north is a parking lot. The property at 715 E. Center St. is vacant and is used as a parking lot.

Board member Bruce Woodward said the members have to think 20 years down the road and treat the two properties separately.

Becknell received approval to build a house on the vacant lot and use it as a beauty shop. He plans to relocate Today's Headlines there. The current beauty shop will become a professional office building.

In an effort to slow down east- and west-bound traffic in the alley and to prevent people from cutting through the lots from Center Street to the alley, the BZA recommended curbing, at least 18 inches high, installed along the properties' north border, with cuts for drainage.

The request to allow one existing off-premise free-standing sign was denied. The large Today's Headlines sign is to be removed when the shop relocates. It was "grandfathered" in years ago. Since the shop is moving, the exception for the sign is void. Both properties must conform to a 16-foot square, non-illuminated sign standing no taller than 7 feet.

Becknell indicated as many as 12 employees would work in the beauty shop and no more than five in the professional office. A minimum of 12 parking spaces is required for the beauty shop and a minimum of 13 spaces for the office building. One handicapped parallel parking space will be allowed on the beauty shop's west side. Screening is to be installed along the west side from the handicapped ramp to the alley.

Dan Hampton was elected president of the board with Bruce Woodward to serve as vice president. Other members are Tom Heuer, who was sworn in to another term by Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Alan Clingan and Richard Keeven. Bill Rhoades is the city council's representative. [[In-content Ad]]