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A throng of supporters couldn't help Mike Wakefield Monday.
The Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals denied his request for a special exception to locate his tattoo business at 122 S. Buffalo St., despite a large turnout of customers pleading his case.
"I appreciate the fact that you have a legitimate business, but the ordinance states you cannot locate a tattoo business within 400 feet of a residential use, and there are people living within 400 feet of this location," said board member Leigh Ann Zachary.
According to City Planner Jeff Noffsinger, the city zoning ordinance prohibits such businesses with 400 feet of residential, school or church uses. However, Noffsinger pledged to help Wakefield find a more suitable, industrially zoned location for his tattoo and curio shop.
In other business, the board approved a special exception request for a Village Pantry gas station and convenience store in the parking lot of Marsh Supermarket, 500 S. Buffalo St.
Steve Bickle, of Mundy Realty, said the new store would be designed on a new concept and Warsaw would serve as the test market for the design.
The board approved two setback variances. The first, for Ed Deweese, 1501 E. Clark St., will allow a garage to be built within 10 feet of his side property line. The second, for Linda Bentele, will allow for an 18-foot front yard setback, when a 25-foot setback is required.
The board also approved a request by attorneys Dan Hampton and Brad Voelz for a 3-square-foot shingle for their office at 120 E. Center St., pending approval of a right-of-way encroachment agreement by the board of public works and safety.
The board also approved a variance request by Robert Hardin, 211 N. Columbia St., to allow for a 6-foot high privacy fence in the front yard of his property and to allow it to encroach into the sidewalk right-of-way.
