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Two items came before the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Monday.
The first request was approved in a vote of 4 to 1, with board member Richard Keevan casting the nay vote.
Assistant city planner Kristy Mehlberg presented a sign design for the offices of Dr. William Myers DDS, 2504 E. Center St. Mehlberg said the sign exceeds the 16-square-foot maximum and 6-foot height requirement in an R-3 zone, which does allow professional offices.
The new sign is 27 square feet and 6 feet, 1 inch high and will be lighted, she said.
Melhberg said Myers, who did not appear, wants the new design, which incorporates ornamental brick and will be 9 feet wide, in the same location as the old sign. She said there would be no problems with traffic visibility.
Keevan argued that recent changes to the sign ordinance were geared toward making signs less obtrusive and smaller.
"We want to keep the R-3 look," he said. "The neighborhood businesses all want bigger signs, too, and we keep denying them."
Board member Tom Heuer said it looked like the sign was much larger than 27 square feet - more like 100 square feet.
Noffsinger said only the display area was measured for square footage.
Two separate votes were taken for the second item, a variance from developmental standards as requested by Russ Weed, 727 Oak St. Weed approached the planning department intending to remodel the house on the property.
Gene Oliver was building commissioner at the time; Art Heredia resigned in March and Todd Slabaugh is the current commissioner.
Over the last 18 months, the structure has virtually been rebuilt. Using the old footers, the house is 1.4 feet below the required flood protection grade and exceeds the 25-foot rear and front yard setbacks.
Noffsinger said there were two choices: issue a stop work order or have Weed appear before the BZA with variance requests.
Noffsinger said the state base flood elevation is 2 feet and the city ordinance exceeds, as it may, the state requirement. He advised a restriction be placed on the deed advising future buyers of the discrepancy.
In addition to the deed restriction, the board required all air conditioning, heating, plumbing and electrical units be installed above the base flood elevation, too.
In a separate vote the setback variances were approved, too.
Noffsinger advised Weed to get a building and occupancy permit.
A request by Paul Karbley, 507 McClellan St., for no side setback was tabled.
Heuer asked whether any plans for Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church had presented any site plans. Last month the Rev. Paul Beuter of the church was granted approval for a church in a R-2 and C-2. The 10-plus acre tract, west of Ind. 15, is located between North Plaza Drive and Rolling Hills subdivision.
Noffsinger said he understood no plans would be forthcoming for about a year.
BZA members are president Alan Clingman, Bruce Woodward, Dan Hampton, Richard Keevan, Tom Heuer and Trish Brown, the non-voting city council representative.
