From left facing the camera are Charlotte Siegfried, Kevin McSherry and Lee Harman. In the foreground is Dan Richard.

By Tim Ashley
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — On Tuesday morning, Oct. 12, the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals held its regular monthly meeting in the Justice Building in Warsaw. There was no remonstrance to any of the petitions presented and the meeting was finished in less than two hours.

Gregg Baumbaugh presented two petitions and he was represented by Blake Doriot. The first petition was a request to allow an existing residence accessory to remain without a residence on property zoned residential on the west side of EMS T46 Lane at the intersection with EMS T45A Lane in Tippecanoe Township.

The second petition was a request for a variance to permit the creation of five new undersized lots and allowing new property lines to be created in a residential district at the same location as the first petition.

Doriot noted he had been mistaken in his original calculations and instead the intent was to combine five tracts of ground and thus create three new ones. But after a suggestion from Dan Richard, area planning director, it was decided it would be easier for three property owners to combine properties located on both sides of EMS T45A Lane, which was approved by the BZA.

Other agenda items included:

• Palestine Cemetery was granted an exception to expand the cemetery with 1,800 additional grave sites. The property is on the east side of Shirey Drive, east of Mill Road in Harrison Township near Palestine Lake.

• Joseph Gagliano Jr. was granted a variance to permit the placement of an open carport 1 foot from the side property line on EMS D3 Lane off the north side of Dewart Lake in Van Buren Township.

• Richard Presser was granted an exception to allow an oversized accessory building on a tract without a residence on 3rd Trail at the intersection with Epworth Forest Road in Tippecanoe Township. The accessory building will replace an older building in poor shape. Presser will also combine this lot with one located on Wade Lane.

• Susan Kirt-Millspaugh was granted a variance to allow an existing deck to remain as constructed and allow an existing shed to remain as placed on EMS C28 Lane in Plain Township. Permits will need to be obtained and fees paid.

• Aaron Lindsey was granted a variance to allow an above ground pool 2 feet from a north property line on EMS D24B Lane off the west side of Dewart Lake in Van Buren Township.

• Geffrey Cowan was granted an exception to allow car sales on his property zoned agricultural on CR 1050S, east of CR 700E in Jackson Township. Cowan has had a home based countertop business for several years but is getting rid of it due to health reasons. He said he wants to eventually move the car lot business to another location once he is licensed to sell cars. Cowan was given approval for no more than four cars and a two-year time limit to operate the business on his property.

• Sean and Molly Fisher were granted a variance to construct a new boathouse with living quarters above that will be on top of the foundation from a previous boathouse on Black Point Road, southwest of Pine Drive in Turkey Creek Township.

• Jack Norris was granted a variance to allow two accessory buildings on a lot without a principal structure after a residence burned down in February 2021. Construction of a new home must begin by June 2023. The property is located on EMS B61J Lane in Tippecanoe Township.

• Donald Barbour was granted a variance to allow a residence addition 20 feet from the road right of way on Northshore Drive, east of Shore Lane in Turkey Creek Township.

• Chris Dunham was approved for an exception to allow construction of an oversized accessory building in a residential district on EMS B61 Lane in Tippecanoe Township. The building will be used as living quarters for family members, so Dunham was also given a variance to allow two residences on one tract. He asked for the building to be 10.9 feet from the road of right way, but was approved at 15 feet since it is a main road.