Area Plan Apc / Bza - Regular Meeting

June 3rd, 2026, Decatur County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting to order. The first item on the agenda is the approval of the May 6th meeting minutes. Those should have been provided to the members. Any questions, concerns, additions to those minutes? Hearing none, I'll look for a motion that we approve those as they were mailed out.

I move that we approve the meeting minutes.

I'll second. Those are approved as they were mailed. Only one petition on our agenda tonight. VCA 26-8, Stephen Foster is requesting a conditional use as provided in Decatur County and Zoning Ordinance Section 1030 to have an industrial controls and automation solutions business. Property is owned by the petitioner and is located at 2024 and 2040 South County Road, 800 East Greensburg. If you're here, Mr. Foster, I appreciate you showing up. Can you tell us a little bit about your business and what you're looking to do? So we're an electrical engineering company.

I've been in the business seven years. I mostly work out of it as a home office. We do have a small shop. It's UL 508A certified to build control panels.

Okay.

We don't do a whole lot of volume with that side.

Sure. So is this something – is this just kind of growing at this point? Have you been doing any of this just looking to make it official kind of a thing, or have you – Correct. Okay. Okay. Okay.

I didn't quite hear you. You said, what do you produce?

We do industrial control panels.

Okay.

So controls that control the way conveyors work or automated machinery.

So foot traffic? None. Okay.

Everything is mailed, I assume? Yeah, we are a B2B business. Okay. So we're not open to the public. Gotcha. Yeah, I have three part-time guys. They're right now maybe twice a week.

Okay. So you won't have any signage or anything.

Good questions. Okay, so this is an overhead, I assume, of your property, which is accessed off of 200, is that right?

So right now, there's another map that actually shows the egress. You can see where the red strip is going up towards 200 south. Yeah. Yeah, that yellow didn't turn out too well.

I can see the yellow.

So if you look right there is egress out now to 200, also through here and in here. So we can now get a semi in and out if there's any deliveries that require that so we don't block the road.

Does that happen often?

It is very rare, but it has happened recently for the first time. Usually it's a box truck. 99% of the time it's a box truck that will have come in or a van. usually large deliveries i'll use my own trailer debbie can you go back to the aerial image if you don't thank you very much okay how often are trucks coming in and out right now we've had zero orders over the last probably three months i would say two months maybe yeah yeah so the panel shop's dead at the moment we're not doing anything it's all control side gotcha

So you would receive material, enclosures, things like that, build, assemble them, and then they would be delivered via? Either we would use like Stonebridge to ship them out. Okay.

How big are they?

So they range in size from the size of this podium to no more than six feet by six feet tall.

Mm-hmm.

And with those, I mean, that's one at a time that we would do. There's not a lot of volume.

And there's nothing hazardous, right?

Nothing hazardous. It's all just electrical components.

Noisy?

Not noisy at all. I mean, we're landing wires and putting in screws and backplates.

Everything would happen, I assume, during somewhat normal business hours. There's no nighttime production with doors open. Yeah, usually my guys are gone by 2 p.m.

Okay. We typically don't work local at all. We're usually traveling. I see. So, you know, Utah, Arizona, Florida, we've been all across the country. I see. We do a lot of work for Amazon.

Okay. Is there much waste material, and what do you do with the waste material? We recycle it.

Because if it's waste, it's copper or it's steel, so we recycle it.

Okay.

Any other questions?

Thank you very much. I'll give an opportunity to anyone in the audience that would like to ask a question. If you'd like to, feel free to come up and state your name. Okay. All right. Appreciate the information. Any other discussion from the board? Okay. If not, I'll look for a motion that we would vote on petition 2026-8. Yes. Four, uh-huh. Okay.

Property line, actually. That's not an accurate depiction. As you can see, it actually shows my property line in the middle. So that property line goes through the middle of that barn? Yeah, but when I bought that property, the first half, we only owned half of that barn, which is kind of odd.

Okay.

So the shop actually does split both property lines.

So then does it need to be both of them?

That's right. Okay.

Okay.

Does it make sense to specify the 2024 parcel, which also includes the structure at the northeast corner of that parcel? Does that encompass that, do you think, Miss? I mean, I guess if it goes down through the middle, you're going to have to reference both parcels. Okay.

maybe a different one as well that actually specifies the size of the shop. Actually, I think it was on the petition. Or as I should describe.

Okay. Okay, so tell me if this verbiage would work okay.

So the parcel number, which also includes the 30 by 56 building, which sits partially on 2024 as well as 2020, is that correct? 2040, I'm sorry, 2024 and 2040.

Is that right?

Okay, we need to nail that down because up here those are listed as

202.4 and 204.0.

Okay, that'd be great, yeah.

So you guys define the building structure and the lots, and then I will... 30 by 56.

Building.

By 56 building, but...

Okay, so we will look for a motion to vote on the conditional use petition 2026-8 for the parcels. Do we need to read those off now, Missy, is that?

Yes, the first one is 16-09-20-220-2024-000-012.

And the second parcel being 16-09-20-220-023.000.

Which also includes the 30 by 56 structure sitting on both of those parcels. Correct. Okay. So we would look for a motion to vote on 2026-8.

I'll move to make a motion. Move to vote on. Move to vote on to approve. As stated. As stated, BZA petition 2026-8. I second. Okay.

Yes it is.

Scott and Andrew, do I put in our absent? Yep.

The votes for petition number 2026-A

Okay, so thank you for following this process with any conditional use. Obviously the idea of this is to give neighbors some protection and things like that, so please be cognizant you're in a residential area overall. So noises and things, I think that it sounds like from the nature of the business that that's not a big concern, but just to prevent problems, just be cognizant of where you're at. But thank you very much for following the process and coming in. Yes? Yes? Typically, it's five. Yeah. I think for the nature of what's occurring here, I think that that's appropriate, a five-year. So what would happen is in five years, there would be a mail that goes out. Is that correct? Yeah. to re-request it, but if they have negative feedback, then we'd ask you to come in and we'll renegotiate some of this discussion.

Are all board members agreeable to amend the motion and the vote to be a five-year term?

Yes. Yes. Thank you very much. You bet. Okay. Any other business from the office? Business from the members? Yep. Okay. I'll look for a motion to adjourn.

I motion to adjourn the meeting. I'll second.

Okay. We are adjourned.

Civil Rights Act of 1964, Decatur County requests that participants in this meeting complete a voluntary anonymous survey that is available on the table in the back of the room. First item on our agenda is the approval of May 6th, 2026 minutes. Everyone should have received a copy of those with your packet. Do we have any additions or corrections? Hearing none, I'll look for a motion to approve those.

I make a motion to approve May 6th, 2026 minutes.

I'll second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Those are approved. We'll start with our first petition, APC petition 2026-10. Bryce French is petitioning to rezone 2.99 acres out of 16.05 acres to build a single family detached dwelling. This request falls under Decatur County Ordinance section number 915 and 927. Property is owned by the petitioner and is located at 8927 South County Road 600 West, Greensburg and Sand Creek Township. Bryce, if you could come up to the podium and tell us about your project.

Yeah, we're just looking to build a house and a shop up there. We bought the property about a year ago. There's an old building there that we're going to take down. It's not really worth salvaging there at the bottom. There's already a driveway. We're just looking to extend that up to where we're going to build it.

So you're just going to go behind the existing building?

Yeah, correct. Up there where pretty much where I've outlined it there, it's going to sit about in the middle of that.

Through your packet, everything appears to be in order. Any questions from the board?

I don't see anything of concern.

Any questions from public or neighbors? Hearing none, I'll look for a motion.

I move that we vote on petition 2026-10. I'll second it.

The votes for petition 2026-10 are as follows. Tom Hunter, yes. Sheila Kirkhoff, yes. Brad Shuby, yes. Paul Stone, yes. Brian Cherry, yes. Clay Hardy, yes. Frank Noe, yes.

Okay, Bryce, your petition moves on. This will go to the county commissioners for the final approval. And then you'll have to touch base back with the office when you're ready to go.

Do I need to be in attendance for that? No. Awesome.

Thank you. Thank you.

Next petition, APC petition 2026-11, Chris and Alyssa Hall. petitioning to rezone 2.977 acres out of 10.05 acres from an A1 zoning classification to an A2 zoning classification to build a single-family detached dwelling. This request falls under Decatur County Ordinance Section Number 915 and 920 Sub 7. The property is owned by the petitioners and is located northwest of 102 East School Street in St. Paul in Adams Township. Chris or Alyssa, if you could come up and tell us about your project.

Good afternoon.

Yeah, we're just looking to just build a home kind of toward the back part, middle part of that red section there. There is kind of an existing gravel driveway that's used to get out to that part from doing the farming. So we'll kind of follow that gravel pathway up to the house and then build the driveway as needed for the home. I think that's kind of the main key items.

So you will have a septic system? Yes, yes.

We plan to have a septic system, and right now we have approval to connect the water from the town.

Questions from the board? I see your letter from the town of St. Paul here.

Yep. Rough neighborhood, Reverend. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. No, a guy who grew up my best friend lives right there. Yeah, I don't see anything of concern there. Looks to make sense.

Hearing nothing from the board, do we have anyone from the public with comments or concerns? If you could step up here and take the podium. And state your name, please.

Yeah, Deanna Legere. I own 104 East School Street. So we have a couple of property lines that are adjoining there. So we did have just a couple of concerns and wanted to see how they would be addressed. One of them is the driveway placement. So as you mentioned right now, where those connect, it is right on a 90-degree corner. So I don't know if you guys maybe have some closer pictures there, but it is extremely tight there with parking. So I am a little concerned from a safety perspective. It is, like you said, being used right now. So you're talking about with farming, maybe once or two, three times a year, you're bringing something in there where we're going to be moving it now to daily use. If you were to make a left-hand turn from Main Street onto that corner, You do not have very good visibility to the right on School Street. So a little concerned about what adding a driveway there and whether or not we have the appropriate easements and different things right there for the minimum frontage road requirements. So just safety in general, how that was going to be addressed. I had a couple more, but I don't know if I stopped there. Okay. The other question that I had was, what she did answer was the sewer septic situation. So our property, if you can see the topography of that, the home would be placed on top of a hill. Our backyard is at the bottom of that valley. And so right now we get a ton of drainage and water. And the owner prior, actually there was a pond there that they drained. It used to be a pasture and now they farm it. So we have seen just in the last few years, additional water coming into our yard, making it very soggy. Most of it we've been able to mitigate. We've done tons of different things over the years, making sure that we're dredging our pond, adding some tile, different things like that to try to mitigate that water. Unfortunately, this year our increased water all at once, things in spring decided to rain in 2 weeks. We have seen some additional right there in that little tree line underneath that corner of the red as a very very low spot and so water is sitting there and we've had to create kind of a little ditch for right now just to kind of help keep it during so we're working on. how we're going to mitigate that in the long run. And then one of the final questions that we had, obviously, is the sewer and septic. So where is that going to go? There is a creek and a pond that does connect to the river as you go down, so making sure that all of that is up to par because we do have a pretty abundant wildlife as you can see those trees through there just to give you an example we have a female mallard who comes back every single year to nest we also have a great blue heron which is absolutely magnificent beautiful to watch it does hunt in our property every single year through that creek bed. So it's extremely important to us that we do maintain that wildlife as well. So those were just a few of our concerns that we wanna make sure are addressed.

Yeah, with the sanitary, I can speak to that. Everything is in order. And those systems are very efficient. You're not gonna see any water or any concerns from that. Okay, thank you. And they do have all of the borings correct. So I can help you alleviate those concerns.

That's a surveyor question.

So is your access to the property now, it's at the very bottom, is that correct? And that's that existing drive. We're looking at it on Beacon here. So there is an existing easement for that parcel. Okay. See, the easement wouldn't be shown with the property line.

Okay, so is that their house then, or where is that? I mean, I'm just curious. Which parcel is the easement? Okay, okay.

And you're right on that corner as well as the access.

Yeah, we're the neighbors to the lands. It is Adam and Amber land. So I'm at 104. So that easement wouldn't be my driveway isn't connected their driveway. They do have a parking spot in front of their house and then a driveway that goes to the side of the house to their garage area there.

I don't know which parcel because you've got.

There's actually three owners that connect there. And I'm actually, I'm sorry, I'm spacing the name of that other one there, but all three of those connect right on the corner. And it's a, like I said, a very tight corner. I'm just worried about adding additional traffic, especially when it comes to building. Semis cannot fit around that corner. I can definitely attest to several that have gotten stuck there. And there is signage posted, very clear, that semis are not going to fit around that corner, if that just gives you an idea of how tight it is. You cannot pass, basically two cars can't go around that corner with the... Is the one next to it, right next to it there, the right one of the cars?

Yeah, so the easement is with this parcel, right?

Okay. Yeah, and technically all those houses were built.

So, I mean, the access isn't, you know, obviously all those other houses were built, so as far as the construction side of it goes. Yeah, the easement is the interesting technicality there, but it's still an easement, so if they already have the easement, it's tied to that property. The access has to be there.

Yeah, because that's all just right of way here.

So I assume your plan, and tell me if I'm wrong, you would plan to come something like this. Is that right? Yeah, I just... This, both of these, I believe, are both owned by the Sheely. That's how you pronounce that. And it's just really odd how this parcel actually has technically this parcel according to that.

I don't know if a surveyor can answer that.

just seems like an opportunity for things to get sticky should should that other parcel right there ever want access to to the road i would just want to make sure if i were you that you're staying on the lands property to get to yours not on the sheely is okay for your drainage concerns typically

You're accepting water that has always ran your direction. it shouldn't as long as you're not getting any more water than you previously received in other words there's no redirection of water that's kind of the rule that we use it's it is gonna be the same amount of water and obviously I know what you're saying because the past few years we've had you know building a house which means it's less that it absorbs slowly and you're redirecting yeah and that's We kind of go off of the, that's a minimal footprint. In other words, if this were a large building or if there was a huge paved area, they would fall under a different qualification. But for houses, you're under the square footage that really causes a lot of harm or concern. A lot of change. Yeah, yeah, there's not a significant.

You may already have water issues. standing in front of us, but you won't really see any change.

But we get three inches like we did the other week and a half, an hour and 40 minutes. And the wet spot that you're talking about is not uncommon because it's probably always been a wet spot.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Our backyard goes down to a ravine. And when we first bought the property, there was a pond. And like I said, it was pasture. So once those things were removed and we started tilling and planting crops, that's when we really started to see a significant impact. So, I mean, we're already fighting it. I just want to make sure that we don't.

Actually, yard will be better than tilled ground. If they plant it in grass, that might help you. You'll be better off because you won't have any dirt coming your way. You're getting sedimentation.

Oh, yeah. Our pond is, yes. We've had to dredge it quite a bit.

Yep. So it's actually going to be a benefit to you with that in mind.

And potentially these folks at some point, should they entertain the idea, if you guys would put any kind of retention pond or something like that in, could potentially help aesthetics and maybe slow down some runoff as well, just food for thought. That could maybe be something you guys both work on or whatever, but that would maybe be a possibility.

Thank you for listening. Have any other comments or concerns? Board, do you have any other questions? I'll entertain a motion then.

We vote on APC 2026-11.

Okay.

Your petition passes, and I'll go before the commissioners. Once that is through, then you can get in touch with the office and start your process. Thank you. Okay, that will end the APC portion of the meeting. We will move into the Decatur County Revitalization Project Show Cause Hearing. And I will preempt this with my typical explanation that anyone here tonight, this is simply to grant an extension on the existing revitalization ordinance. And we really have no say or way to change anything as far as how this goes. First one is Jeffrey Hickmott, Angela Willard. First and only one, actually.

Is there a picture from May 29th?

Do we have anyone here representing that property? Doug, what's your status on this one?

plane in January, I went out there

We have no representation we can vote to go ahead and move forward with the proceeding yes Okay, I'll entertain a motion for that

I second. I can't make a motion. Oh, I thought you said. I'm sorry. I thought you said. I make a motion that we, yes, vote on show cause hearing. Whatever it is.

Hickmont and Willard.

Oh, R2026-17. Sorry about that. Do I have a second?

Second. All those in favor say aye. And that was the only one, correct, Doug? Okay. All right. That is all that I had. Any board members have anything? I do not. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

I move that we adjourn.

Mm-hmm. That's the way I understand it.