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Milford utilities department head Dallas Winchester and Milford Town Councilman John Lehman said they are tired of the way Augustiv Widmer's property looks on a regular basis.
In response, Lehman asked the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday to deny Widmer's variance and exception petitions.
On file with the plan commission also are five letters opposing Widmer's petition.
Widmer had petitioned for an exception to allow outside storage and an auto repair service in an Industrial 2 district. His variance petition would permit a 6-foot privacy fence to be 2 feet from James and Fourth streets. The property is on the west side of James Street and zero feet north of Fourth Street in Milford.
According to Dan Richard, plan commission director, the property is still under the ownership of the railroad company but is leased out to Widmer.
Widmer told the BZA he wants to add outside storage for boats, campers and trucks while they await repair. He said he is willing to work with the board on providing more fencing for the business.
He said he could completely enclose the property with 6-foot- tall stockade fencing and wants to plant some trees.
Winchester said it was all brought up because Widmer was written up on a trash violation. He also was verbally warned. Winchester said he told Widmer he could only do what he's doing if the property was rezoned.
Lehman said the town council met with Widmer and wrote several letters to him to get him to comply with Milford ordinances.
"It's our feeling," said Lehman, "that if you approve this, 6-foot fences won't cover buses and trucks." He said they want Widmer to meet the same stipulations as other auto repair services in the town.
The building, Lehman said, doesn't meet standards either as it doesn't have running water or bathrooms.
"There's a problem here, a big problem here," he said. More is needed than Widmer plans, Lehman said.
Richard told Widmer that if the zoning board denies his petition, he would have to move his business off the property.
"I'm going to continue with the clean-up of this property because nothing has been done with this property," said Winchester.
Lehman said his personal feelings are that the zoning board should deny Widmer's petition, but he can't speak for the entire town council.
BZA continued both of Widmer's petitions to give him time to form a plan to address the town's concerns and meet the county's standards.
In other business, the board:
• Approved Bright PCS' petition for an exception for a communication tower in an agricultural district. The property is on the west side of Ind. 19 and zero feet south of Nappanee Corporate Line in Scott Township.
• Unanimously denied ERI Housing's petition for an exception for sales, service and repair of manufactured housing. The property is on the east side of Ind. 15 and one mile south of CR 600N in Plain Township. The board was concerned about the traffic impact.
• Continued two exception petitions by Tippecanoe Lake Country Club. The club wants an exception to allow a parking lot in a residential district and another exception to replace the pro shop and cart barn. The property is on the west side of EMS T37 Lane and zero feet east of Kalorama Road in Tippecanoe Township.
• Approved Open Bible Baptist Church's petition for a variance to permit the construction of a second story addition to the church 5 feet, 4 inches from a west side right of way; 22 feet, 9 inches from a west side right of way; and 8 feet, 3 inches from the west right of way. The property is on the south side of EMS B61B Lane and zero feet west of EMS B61 Lane in Tippecanoe Township.
• Approved Dennis Paternoster's exception petition to allow a mini-storage warehouse in an agricultural district. The property is on the south side of CR 1290N and zero feet west of CR 825E in Turkey Creek Township.
• Denied Bobby and Laura Arnold's variance petition to allow a fence to remain 6 feet high toward Wizard of Oz Way. The property is on the south side of Wizard of Oz Way and zero feet west of Hansel & Gretel Lane in Turkey Creek Township.
• Heard Kale Island Beacon's petition for a variance to permit allowing an off-premise sign to remain at the interior intersection of Pickwick Drive and Kings Drive in Turkey Creek Township as a non-conforming use. The board decided no action was needed and the sign could remain.
The zoning board heard 30 petitions Tuesday. Twenty-three were approved, two were denied, four were continued and one was dropped.
Members of the zoning board include Vic Virgil, Bob Beer, Ron Sharp, Walter Church and Charlie Haffner. They meet at 8:30 a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month.
