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Without any attorneys representing the petitioners Tuesday, the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals kept ahead of schedule.
By 10 a.m., the BZA was at its 10:30 a.m. schedule. The board had to break for a half hour to allow petitioners the time to be available for the meeting.
After two continuances by the same petitioner, and the approval of another continuance, the first case of the morning was a petition by Wayne Weaver.
Weaver requested an exception for the purpose of the alteration of a non-conforming use by allowing the expansion of furniture sales in an agricultural district. The property is on the east side of Ind. 15 and south of CR 800S in Clay Township.
A bakery is already in operation on the property and he wants to add furniture sales. Weaver's property is zoned for home occupation.
Two signs are located on the premises and the BZA told him that they were in violation. They approved one sign at 4 feet by 8 feet. The BZA said it didn't matter what sign he used, but he could have only one sign up.
Weaver told the BZA, "I wasn't aware that we had to get permits for these, so that's what we're here to do today."
Area Plan Director Dan Richard said consolidating two signs into one was, "the only way you could get into compliance."
After discussion of the signs, the BZA approved the furniture sales and bakery businesses.
The next case also involved a sign.
Jerry Sechrist, of Niff Tone Distributors, petitioned for a variance to allow an off-premise sign to remain within the right-of-way. The property is on the north side of CR 600S and east of Ind. 19 in Franklin Township.
Originally, Niff Tone Distributors had a sign posted within the same vicinity for 21 years. Sechrist said vandals cut the old sign down this past autumn. The sign is 6 inches from the right of way.
Niff Tone Distributors is a half mile down the road from the sign. The BZA approved the sign, but it had to be moved 35 feet back from the right of way and 35 feet from the intersection. The standard for setbacks is 35 feet.
Gary Berkey was approved for a private runway. Berkey petitioned for an exception in an agricultural district on the east side of CR 300W and south of CR 400S in Prairie Township.
He told the BZA the airstrip would be for private use and would be 540 feet south of the power lines located nearby.
The only denial of the first two sessions was against a petition for a variance which would permit the construction of a residence addition 2 feet 3 inches off the side property line. The petition was by Gail Anderson, represented by Richard Oliver.
Located on the west side of SR 13A and 950 feet south of Goldilocks in Turkey Creek Township, Anderson wanted to add a bathroom above an area of the home that jets out 4 feet. The overhang would be only 2 feet. There would have been no side expansion and a window would be taken out.
The BZA said if the distance from the house to its neighbor was 5 feet or more, it would be a different story.
The BZA heard 21 cases and three continuations Tuesday.
