Troy Lehr requested a variance for the construction of a second story addition at 7 EMS T52C Lane, North Webster, during a Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Adkins.

By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – The Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals approved petitions for two storage warehousing areas during a board meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Lamar Bost, owner of G&L Milford Self Storage, requested an exception and variance for the purpose of allowing storage warehousing in an agricultural district on the west side of North Old SR 15, south of CR 1300N, Milford. The warehousing in question would be placed on a land parcel north of Williamsburg Marine and south of Bradford L. Jackson Way.

Bost and Steve Snyder, local attorney, attended the meeting to present the petitions to the board. In July, the Milford Town Council gave their approval toward Bost’s request. Bost said he’s received over 130 phone calls from citizens asking for storage space and that G&L has been full for five years.

“(The Milford Town Council) likes the project, they like the way he’s got it laid out, and they don’t have any problem with no screening and outside storage,” said Snyder. “It’s apparently something that’s needed in Milford. Lamar says he gets calls routinely from people looking for storage facilities, and there aren’t any available.”

The board also approved a petition from Calvin Slabaugh with Shed Time for an exception to allow self-storage warehousing in a commercial district. This would be placed on the south side of CR 200N, east of SR 13, Pierceton, on property just south of Loose Moose Motorsports.

Slabaugh said Shed Time has an existing facility in Auburn and that the Pierceton site’s layout would be very similar. The units would be mini storage barns, with an estimated 175 units on the property.

Sandy and the board addressed traffic concerns with Slabaugh, noting CR 200N becomes very busy during the warmer months, with the road acting as a main point of entry to Jellystone Park.

Sandy said he and the county highway department wanted to see the entryway to Shed Time shifted as far east as possible to help alleviate traffic concerns.

The board approved Slabaugh’s petition with the request the property’s driveway be moved as far east as possible.

In other business, the board approved an exception and variance for Isaac Miller at 2422 W. 1250N, Milford. The exception is for the purpose of allowing Miller’s home-based construction business in an agricultural district, while the variance would permit allowing a 60-square-foot sign for the business.

Sandy said his department received complaints from a neighbor and school bus driver regarding semis parking on CR 1250N while at the property. Sandy told the board the county’s highway department “very reluctantly” granted a driveway permit to Miller.

“We did get a complaint last week about another trailer parked along the road and traffic coming from the other way,” said Sandy. “(The highway department) does not feel (a driveway) would resolve the issue with the semis.”

Miller told the board he hadn’t recently purchased any construction materials and that semi deliveries typically occur at the business once a month. He also said he wanted to build a hoop building in 2026 for materials storage.

The board approved Miller’s requests, with the stipulations including Miller must install a driveway and move a fuel tank on the property.

The board also:

• Continued a case for Kevin Carr, as the City of Warsaw is potentially looking into annexation for his property.
• Approved an exception petition for Aaron Schwartz at 7335 W. 850N, Etna Green. The exception is for the purpose of allowing an addition to an existing building. A previously requested, additional petition by Schwartz for a variance was dropped.
• Continued a request from the Lapel family for the construction of a residence addition at 8888 E. Hatchery Road, Syracuse. No representatives for the petition attended the meeting.
• Approved a petition for a variance allowing an enclosed garage wall at 2906 E. Armstrong Road, Oswego, for Dustin Mann.
• Approved a variance for the construction of a second story addition at 7 EMS T52C Lane, North Webster, owned by Troy Lehr. Lehr told the board the residence used to serve as a weekend getaway but is now a year-round home.
• Approved a variance at Hoffman Lake Campground, 7638 W. 300N, Atwood. The request was presented by Stacie Anderson, one of the campground’s owners. The variance will permit the change and alteration of a non-conforming seasonal mobile home park by allowing new units and decks to be located three feet from interior roads, four feet to adjacent units, and 20 feet from the water’s edge.

The next Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting is at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the basement of the Kosciusko County Justice Building.