County BZA approves several variance requests
MARSHALL COUNTY — Several requests for variances were approved at the May 12 meeting of the Marshall County Board of Zoning appeals.
The first was a request for a variance of developmental standards to allow two additional parcels be split out that do not meet the 1:3 width to depth ratio. This request was made by Charles and Devon Hepler who attended the meeting. The property in question is located at 1772 8th Road in Bourbon.
Plan Director Ty adley informed the board that the property in question is approximately 160 acres. The dimensions of the northern 80 acres, which is the area to be split from the original parcel, is approximately 700 feet by 2,600 feet. adley added that staff recommended approval of the request.
Once the public hearing was open, there was no one that was opposed or for the request. There was one letter and it was in approval of the request. Closing the public hearing, the board voted to approve the request.
The second request was from Scott Virgil. It was a request for a variance of developmental standards to reduce the required road right-of-way setback from 50 feet to 22 feet in order to allow for a home addition to the Virgil’s home that does not currently meet the standard. The property is located at 2051 18th Road in Tippecanoe.
The additional would be a two-story 20 feet by 25 feet and would be used as a living room, game room, new bathroom, and an upstairs office. Staff recommended the approval of the request as long as the room not get any closer to the road.
When the public hearing section was opened up, there was no comments for or against the request. When the public hearing section was closed, the board voted to approve the request.
The third case that night was from Matthew Hatfield and Demont Construction. It was for a variance of developmental standards to reduce the required rightof-way setback standard from
50 feet to 36.98 feet to allow an addition to the existing residence. That residence is located at 7313 18th Road in Argos. The staff and the Technical Review Committee (TRC) recommend the approval of the request.
When the public hearing section was opened up, there was no comments for or against the request. When the public hearing section was closed, the board voted to approve the request.
Brent Cooper requested a variance of developmental standards for splitting off 19.25 acres that will not meet the 1:3 width to depth ratio. The location of the property is located at 4655 SR 10 in Tippecanoe.
“The 1:3 ratio was intended so that people didn’t do the minimum width and make small strips. When you’ve got a 540 foot wide piece, that’s not what this is intended for. That’s why we have so many of these that don’t make sense,” stated Board President Jeff Gustafson.
Adley informed the board that the parcel that would be split from the rest would be approximately 540 feet by 1,800 feet. The staff and TRC recommended approval of the request.
“Unfortunately, I’ve got this big creek that goes right through it, so we want to stay west of the creek is how we plotted it out,” stated Cooper.
When the public hearing section was opened up, there was no comments for or against the request. When the public hearing section was closed, the board voted to approve the request.
The last request that was approved that night was from Lowell Hall. His request was for a variance of developmental standard to allow parcel 50-23-20-000-007-000-015 to be split and combined with 18738 Ironwood Road which does not meet the 1:3 width to depth ratio. The properties in question are located on Ironwood Road in Walnut Township.
Adley explained that the applicant is splitting the property with his sibling and rather than split the property east and west, he’s asking to split it north and south. Lowell’s property, located to the south would then combine with the his section of the property. The staff and TRC recommend the approval of this request.
When the public hearing section was opened up, there was no comments for or against the request. When the public hearing section was closed, the board voted to approve the request.