Pictured, from left, are Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission Director Matt Sandy, Board of Zoning Appeals Chairman Lee Harman, BZA Hearing Officer Randy Cox, and BZA Member Dan Richard. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Adkins.

By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – The Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals moved to table a decision on petitions for a new restaurant and condominium unit south of Lake Tippecanoe until their February meeting.

During a Tuesday, Jan. 13, board meeting, the BZA heard from two different petitioners regarding a property at 70 EMS T16 Lane, Leesburg. This is the site of the former Pie Eyed Petey’s restaurant. Stefan King, the owner of HopLore Brewing; and local attorney Steve Snyder, on behalf of petitioner James Anderson, attended the meeting to request petitions for the property.

King and Anderson are both seeking to divide the property, with King looking at placing a HopLore location into the former Pie Eyed Petey’s building. Anderson is planning to build a nine-unit residential condominium east of HopLore.

King brought forth a petition for a variance which would permit allowing 55 parking spaces in a commercial district when 72 spaces are required. Anderson filed four different petitions, including an exception for the purpose of allowing multi-family use in a commercial district; allowing a residential condominium with three parking spaces per unit; permitting a garage structure and dumpster enclosure to be 25 feet from the east road right-of-way; and allow nine units with 150 feet of shoreline where ordinance requires 180 feet in total.

Area Plan Commission Director Matt Sandy said for parking at HopLore, one space would be required for every 100 square feet of building, per ordinance.

“The reason we’re asking for a variance is that only the front third of the building will be used for restaurant space,” said King. “The back half of the building approximately will be our manufacturing, where we are brewing. We’ll be moving our brewing operations there, and that literally consists of two people as far as spaces that are taken up. For restaurant space itself, we’re looking at roughly 2,300 square feet of the actual customer access part of the building.”

BZA members expressed concerns with parking at the location, with Chairman Lee Harman recalling Pie Eyed Petey’s parking situation as “being all over the place.” King and Sandy said a building on the property east of HopLore’s proposed location would be removed.

Two letters of support were also submitted on behalf of HopLore’s proposal.

Pictured is a proposal presented to the BZA for a nine-unit condominium south of Lake Tippecanoe. lnkFreeNews photo by Liz Adkins.

In regard to the condominium, Snyder described it as a “high-end development” that will increase property values. He referenced the lakefront development ordinance, commonly known as an anti-funneling ordinance. Funneling at lakes relates to when someone purchases a lakefront property and permits lake access for the property’s residents and visitors.

“This proposal is permitted use, point-blank,” said Snyder. “There are no shared entrances or parking spaces with the restaurant.”

Snyder also noted a lot of traffic would be eliminated in the area through the removal of the boat ramp north of the former Pie Eyed Petey’s location.

“We think it would be much more aesthetically pleasing and more practical to approve our nine spaces at 150 feet rather than require us to leave the boat ramp for whatever accumulation of lake debris would be in that boat ramp,” said Snyder. “Certainly, this enhances property values. All of it developed would be, what I say, top-notch.”

Multiple remonstrators voiced opposition against the condominium. Sandy said his department received the two emails in support for the condominium and 15 emails in opposition of the project. Several people also attended the BZA meeting to speak in opposition of Anderson’s petitions.

David Vie, who owns two properties near the location, said he believes the building of a condominium would be a funneling issue.

“If HopLore doesn’t happen, that condo development could continue west,” said Vie. “I think granting this opens the door for a lot of development that really does detract from the beauty and safety of the lake.”

He also said the boat ramp currently at the property is the best access to Lake Tippecanoe.

“I’m an architect, and I know what I’m looking at,” said Vie. “This is a pretty picture to sell the concept. The petitioner called this a high-end development. As a professional, I can tell you there is nothing high-end about this or what they’re planning.”

Vie said he received renderings for the condominium from Anderson and Vie distributed those to BZA members.

Joe and Laura Lenon, who reside on T13B Lane, also expressed concerns with the condominium proposal. Joe, who is president of the Lake Tippecanoe Property Owners Association, said their organization typically doesn’t take a stand against projects, provided it does not conflict with any planning or zoning requirements.

“This project requires several variances, including lake frontage requirement, and it creates substantial impact,” said Joe. “Reduction of lake frontage and the precedence this would set will allow funneling, which can contribute to overcrowding and lake pollution. Lake Tippecanoe is a very densely populated lake with heavy traffic … LTPO would like to see the requirements be maintained. This project will likely create a public safety issue, with a very narrow road on T16B, and additionally more boat traffic in this narrow channel.”

Several of the remonstrators requested the board give residents time to hire legal counsel, saying they only received notice of the plans one to two weeks prior to the meeting.

The BZA moved to continue all of King and Anderson’s petitions to their Feb. 10 meeting. Board members stated the continuances were for parking issues at HopLore to be studied further, and to allow remonstrators against the condominium additional time to present information to the BZA.

Pictured is an aerial view of the property being considered for a HopLore restaurant and brewery, and nine-unit condominium. Image from Google Maps.