Board of Zoning Appeals Hearing Officer - Regular Meeting

You fold your wall and move up so you can hear me. I talk. Yeah. No, no, no, no. I I do talk a little bit soft. So, I do. All right. Okay. You're fine. Right there.

Okay. We'll call a meeting to order. The first item is the pledge. So we all stand up please and recite the pledge. Ice for it stands with all. We don't nearly do that enough. Yeah. Yeah. Next item. approval of minutes for January 21st and February 25th, 2025. And I will approve those. Thank you.

Okay. We got correspondence here. Case DB-2025-37 is Ryan Lindsay Ditch Creek to request a continuation. Yeah, she needs to hire a surveyor to do her property and she was going to be done in time with his schedule. So, she asked if she could continue it to the August meeting. Should I um table it or continue to August? Continue. Okay. So, I'll make a motion to continue case D-2025-37 to August.

Okay. Uh first case they're all we got three cases are public hearings. After reading the rules of conduct so bear with me rules of conduct at a public hearing before the board to petitioner or proponent shall first present the facts and arguments in support of the case. Those who oppose the petitioner shall follow. The petitioner shall have ble time at the conclusion of those opposing the petition. Those opposed shall then be allowed a total maximum of 10 minutes to rebut any new statements made by the petitioner in this rebuttal. It should be it should be within the discretion of the board to impose any time limitation on either the petitioner or respondent and to limit public comment to those determined by state statute to the interested parties. remostance shall be accepted by the board but need not to be read into the board's record though then I'm sorry this then concludes the public hearing to maintain orderly procedure each slideshow proceed without interruption by others all materials presented by the petitioner and or remmonstrators or supporters to the petition including photographs shall become property of the board and part of record. Okay. With that, the first case is DB-2025-46. Applicant Lis Gallagher. Location at 456 Belfflower Drive, Vrazel, Jackson Township, Zonies RR, Roial District, acreage at 1.65. Request to allow more than two construction on partial land less than two acres in size for a proposed third

or pergo. You'll put cazebo or pagola. Pergo. Okay. Located near this rainbow. Okay. You had both in. I wasn't sure which one you were. Present your case. Uh we just were asking for permission to uh put a fur by our pool um to provide shade and you know just a place to relax outside while we're outside by the pool. Okay. All right. Anybody it's a public hearing a public hearing. Anybody has any questions in favor or against or any questions?

No. We just require this is the third structure. So he has to have varian that it's permit driven. Um everything is fine though. He meets all the setbacks and the rest of the codes. What structure? Okay. What size will your poll be? 14 by 20. Yeah. I'm sorry. What size will you put in? 14 by 20. 14 by 20. And that will fit on that concrete part swimming pool because I see the swimming pool. Okay. All right. Um it won't affect drainage because on your existing it will exist on existing concrete. Correct. Okay. And it is in a backyard behind the pine trees.

So you won't see it. Okay. Any questions? I looked and it said that it the all the square footage of the three structures do not go what is allowed by state. So I don't have problem. It's just because it's a third right. And he's only allowed two. Is that correct? Yeah. But even with the three, he's still under. Okay. All right. It's going to be used for storage or it's going to be open. Open. No walls. Okay. Very good. Okay. I'd like to make a motion to approve KDB-2025-46. You're approved. You can come tomorrow, pick up your permit.

Okay. We have documents down here. Otherwise, okay, tomorrow or sometime this week. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Good. You guys got a nice place. Thank you. Maintain very well. Do you want me to bring the sign back to you? No. No. We'll pick it up. Okay. We'll come. All right. Your pockets are spinning.

You're welcome. Next case is DB-2025-48. Applicant is Mike Delgry is located at 1316 North 375 East Chesterton Pine Township Residential District to acreage is two request to allow for a proposed 40 by 60 accessory structure to varying first an increase in maximum floor area. Second the appearance not to match a closely resemble of the primary structure. Yep. I'm just looking to put a building up. I'm retiring uh September 1st hopefully. So, I'm going to just fill around and hopefully get another classic car. I had to get rid of my classic car. And I got, like I said, I got a a boat across the street at Rita Dodd's house I've had over there for years. I I got my uh snowmobiles and a snowmobile trailer. I got a bunch of ice fishing equipment that is uh just stacked up in my garage. So, just adding some space and have some storage. And I like to tinker around with stuff and keep myself busy, get away from the refrigerator and the television and try and stay somewhat healthy. So that that's the game plan. Good. Okay. Thank you. That's a public hearing. Anybody want to speak in favor? Seeing none. Uh any questions or against? Seeing none, public hear. Timing would have it. Okay. What was that

time you would have as you were working? Yeah. Yeah. vehicle on a I'm always on a trailer. So the the question comes you use it for business. No sir. Yeah. I thought you were sand blasting. Well I do you know I mean I that's car hauler so I don't have uh you know unless I lay underneath the ground um even to change my own oil on my own cars. I use that thing to change my oil on my cars and all kinds of stuff. The question I'm asking are you going to have a business? No sir. Okay. No, no, no. Okay. No. I'm not looking to run a business. I'm I'm retiring. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I would have if I pull up, he has a Yeah. I mean, I do that a lot. You know, I'm messing around with stuff all the time, you know.

We just want to make sure it's not business. You have to if it's a business, you have to play. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, okay. If if I was a nuisance to my neighbors, they'd been out. They You know, I'm not I'm not running a business out of there. And it's just for your personal story. Yeah. I mean,

no, I'm not doing a It's not that large, you know, but I used you asked me said, "Why do you need such a large building?" But everybody I know that has a building like it gets filled up darn fast. Like it's I could if I still had my cut list, the building would be probably 60% full just bringing my own stuff back to my own house. You need to sign a document saying that you it won't be used for residents or no business will be allowed in it or the county can tear that's not a problem. Gotcha. And it's not you understand because Yeah. been burned so many times. Yeah. You don't want I get just so you know it's just not personal. Everyone that does it we have to stand procedure.

No worries. Yeah. How many square feet you um I'm over 92. Is it that much? How much? 8.92. But that counts my shed, right? So I Yes. A 12 by6 shed that comes out to 192. So yeah. So are you removing that? I I I rebuilt the floor in that shed right before I If you saw it when you were over there, the shed I had to jack it up. Build a new floor. Jacked up. So I left. I haven't even completed it yet. You know, I thought you mean you were removing that, wasn't it?

No, I'm I was going to remove it, but that for me to put another shed up would be probably, you know, like it'd be like probably $11,000 for a shed that size, you know, and it just it's nice to pull lawnmower in there in case the like the mice like night, you know. So, I don't want them in my barn if I don't have to if I don't have to have my Yeah. You can you make your your uh I could make the barn smaller. Okay. If if it were necessary. I I kind of don't want to, but if I guess if I had to. But you're you're 800 feet over. Yeah. Yeah. How much smaller can you make it? I mean, and live with it. I mean,

I mean, I I'd really like to do it with what I that's why I applied for a variance. So, I mean, in a perfect world, that's what I'd like to do. Um, just because I'm a guy that's been working his whole life, and my wife, I think she's gonna kind of be done with me. uh pretty quickly. So, I think it's going to be my little oasis getaway as well. You know, can't remove that shed before you complete it. That would help. I mean, I already spent $1,200 rebuilding the floor on it. I' I'd rather not. I mean, I guess if I had to, I could.

I mean, it's 192 square foot and I am I'm I'm 90 feet in all directions from all my neighbors probably. You are. You're appreciate. And it's And I'm landlocked. You got a buffer in the back, too, don't you? Yeah. There's a gigantic buffer back there. Yeah. You know, and there's some large pull barns in the area. I mean, my neighbor has a Everybody's got big Yeah, I drove I drove up and down. And I don't know that just 800 is pretty good. It is a lot. 300 400. If I could see if we were all stacked with two

two acre parcels, that'd be a lot of uh rainwater runoff. But I'm on the high side of the water drainage. I got the the drain tile for the whole area is in front of my yard and the ditch that I maintain. Um, so like we have good drainage over there where I'm at. Not so much around me further away, but right where I'm at, water drains out pretty good. So Okay. And no issue with the height. 20 feet. You can't go over 20 feet. You realize that, right? Yeah, I'm just under 20 feet. Okay. Yeah. Because he didn't apply for it. So, and what color are you wanting it to be?

It's a a dark gray with a a black waist coat, which I got black shutters on my house, and the house is a a blue. So, I mean, it does kind of match. It's not You got black shutters now? Mhm. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Um I would make a motion to approve HD2025-48 with understanding you will come in and sign the document. Sure. No, no business. It's just strictly uh for personal use. Perfect. Okay. So, it's approved. Awesome. I did I will turn in the comment you made about the shipping containers. You were right. There's many not only. Do you see it? It's under the power line. Like they're not even I'm show I'm going to show I mean I hate to be that guy but

you know it's we're we're working on that but I think it's out of hand in that area. I drove around. I think I see five besides you got all kinds of things going on over there. shipping. Somebody has front yard also. We have them all over the county. We're in the process of working on an ordinance. I mean, they're cheap storage. I mean, like, well, they are, but I I entertained it years ago, but my wife shot me down. She's like, we're not they're right, but what an eyesore. Yeah. So, there's what eyesore. There's people that are living in campers. I can rattle off probably four of them within two miles of my house in abandoned homes like that are condemned

plumbed into the old septic system. They're living in those campers year round. Like there's a lot of them like Yeah. So I mean fair for one, fair for all. That's what I say, you know. So it was a good it was a good complaint. I mean it was valid. Did you put something in um because we have an online No, I'm not that guy. I mean, but verball I just, you know, I'm like, it seems like I got to jump through a lot of hoops to do something and I keep them pretty tidy home. We're trying to get a list of everyone that does have those shipping. I'm not going to be that guy, but I know, but just for the future because they I heard that they were delivering them to people whoever wanted them. Yeah. Like shown up all

because they had too many of them that they were just offering them out and wouldn't even deliver and drop them off. Oh, the worst case. We got those two Yeah, I agree. But if you go to the next street over for east, somebody put one right I mean it's a nice house right in the front yard off the driveway. The next street. I said what? I don't know where you're conx boxes. Yeah. Shipping shipping. Yeah. Shipping containers. You know,

you could buy a 40. So for you to build a a 10 by 40 foot long. This that's 400 square foot. I mean, you're talking probably a pretty substantial amount of money where you can have one of those delivered for three grand and you know, uh, whatever. I wonder if the assessors are charging taxes on it. Oh, I bet. I doubt not. You know, I was getting taxes on a chicken coupe that's been down for eight years. Realized when I started this process, my opinion, it's eyesore. Now, it's a barn behind a barn. Yeah. if it's hidden or whatever, you know, the way they're turning up. All right. Well, you're approved.

Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Ready? Call Monica. She'll let the status. Okie do. Very good. Thank you, guys.

You're welcome. In this case, DB-2025-49. Applicant is Michael and Sherry Taylor. Location 435 North 400 East, Washington Township. Zone is RRidential District. acreage is fine. Request to allow for proposed 30 by 40 accessory structure with a 8 by 40 lean to be placed in a front yard and be used for personal storage. Thanks folks. You're on who are here to uh for the variance for this 30x40 garage stick built with you know concrete foundations built by Ed Wells. Wells and its son construction. Um, everything will match the house an existing garage. Um, the pitch of the roof would be 612 instead of 1212 vinyl site, one overhead door facing north. And the structure would actually be 30 foot in front of the existing structures because that's where our current turnaround is. And if we had moved it to the east, we would have to put in maybe another 2,000 square foot of gravel to be able to pull in and then to back a trailer. And I just think that if we position it anywhere else on, you know, behind the existing structures, it just won't look right. I mean, when it runs north and south, we're going to have four windows spaced evenly. originally wanted to do a pole barn and

make it look like a barn because I'm the fourth generation on the property. My grandkids are the sixth generation on property. But to do that is just ridiculous, you know. So, um going stick built, having everything match, it'll be more economical. Number one, about $15,000 cheaper than just a plain old barn. And I think it would look a lot nicer just having enough stick to build building. And behind there, if we move the structure back, then we're getting into our garden space where we put quite a bit of money into bringing in fertilizer, black dirt, and everything kind of has its place there. And that's why we like to put it there. It's just it's not like it's in the front yard. It's just and we're like 700 foot off the road and we own the existing uh or the surrounding 12.2 acres and the house up front. So there's nobody right next door that would be looking at any kind of an isore because it won't be an isore, you know. So but with it being in front of the house, that's why we're here for the variance.

Okay, the public hearing. I don't see anybody. We'll close some public hearing. I have to look at hardships. Okay? And and and I don't see a hardship on this. Okay? I know what you want to do. I understand that completely. But you have a large spot right outside of the house. I know you got a little garden there. It might a little bit low, but it's not that low. And I know you try and save on gravel. I say on gravel, but cost is not a hardship. Okay. Um, I drove up and down pretty far. Yeah. Both directions. There's not one in the front yard. Not one.

And if you had no other spot to and you had to have it, but you you have it easy spot right next to the house right next to and that's where the runoff drains to the back of the property and then down towards 450. Yeah, you can manage on that. Yeah, you have to slope the land. And I don't want to put a building where it's going to be running and have to try to reroute. And I just don't see how how it's an eyesore to be 30 foot. It's really not even I mean our house is 800 ft off of the road

and the pole barn would begin 735 ft off of the road. But it's where it's proportioned to the I mean we have a Would you like to see this? We have it here. Yeah. But I I I don't think I need Can you screen it? Can you screen it trees? It It'll be a nice enough looking building that it doesn't need to be hit. I mean, I'm just being honest. I mean, a stick built garage is how much nicer than a pole park? And it's from when you when you look from the road. Yeah, I agree.

When you look from the road, you would barely be able to tell that it's in front. You know, it's 30 foot. You know, who's building your full? Ed Welen. He's a established builder. Yes. Yeah. He's he built our house. He built the house. He's a good builder. But I I just I don't want a third building to look like everything's just crammed back there to where built so close to the back of the property.

It would be more aesthetically pleasing to have it run north and south right there at the turnound instead of just sticking it in the back. And now we're going to be limited for the room to get from the front of that building. It's all going to have to be graph. I mean, it will not be an isore by any. How close would be from the corner house? You said 30 feet space or

no it would be like when you look at in line it would be like 30 foot in front of the house but I mean it's like 80 foot I think we we measured it off like when you come out the door well they're from like where I had it you know staked out or whatever I think it was like 80 foot to the at an angle you you know, but I just I don't think it would look right anywhere else behind that turnaround. The way we have the driveway, I'm at your access, too.

The way the driveway's laid out, the turnaround's laid out. I mean, I'm not I'm not going to chop it up and, you know, make it look a mess. I mean, that's why we're here is because we don't want it to be a mess. And it it would not look right. Three buildings just in a row. But you understand the reason why the county doesn't want my front yard. Okay. It's not in my front yard. No, it's ahead of the house. Now, come on. I got five acres and the driveway splits it, right? It's not the yard. Front yard. From the to your house. That's front yard. And then

have arguments with people that flip their house or door over here. Well, then you know I got I got Luke Gates Farms comes and uh bails my yard. I mean, and that's that side of the property. He comes and bails it and the other, you know, whatever. And it's it's just a poor argument to say that you're putting it in your front yard because it's not back to the yard by your stand. Yes. It's your front yard. You know, I I I drive through all the way back. So, it's still your Yeah. You go in the subdivision over there. It's a Valley Run across the road, just patty corner. Yeah.

One of the guys we had to uh send a letter to put a 30 by 40 or 30 by 50 pole barn in the subdivision right next to his house. And it's not in front of it, but come on. You're in subdivision. He's got a twostory house in a 30 by 40 or 50 coal barn right next to it. And that our situation's going to look worse than that. How can see what happens to let me explain to you. People put or try to put marks dead in front of their house. There's one out there now. They did it illegally. And right in front you look out your front door. You look up. Okay. I mean, do we want that?

No. Alternate. No, nobody does. That's why we have, right? And that's why I'm here for variance. Yeah. Understand?

You know, I mean, we can look out if if it's positioned where we're requesting it to be. We'll be able to look out the front window and see it, you know, where like at night, you know, you hear something, whatever, you flip on light, look out there to where if it's back off to the side, you know, it it just I mean, if if we can't put it there, I don't know that I'll do it because I don't want it hillbilly up. Pardon my whatever, but I just don't think it would look right just stacked straight across and it would look so much nicer if you just pulled in aesthetically pleasing. I mean, it would just look so much better.

You going to match the house? Yes. Yeah. Fontolo has a sighting. Exactly. I mean, no, not it's not. I don't think they make the same, but we brought samples. Currently, we have like a wood grain and they offer like more solids, but the one two years ago, you said. Oh, no. 2004. Oh, 2004. Yeah. So, actually the place where we got the sighting was where old 3D was. There was a construction. That's long That's a long time ago. Spesco, I think it was it called. No, but but anyway, we took samples and

matched as close as close as possible and the shingles. We uh we just had a house shingled a couple years ago. So, we'd be using the same shingles, uh green windows, green overhead door, same thing company. So, it it should look like it's always been there. I'm looking right now. You have brick. I'm trying. No.

You have brick. No. No. So you had you have detached garage now. Yeah, it's attached with a overhang

space. space that space got three buildings lining up how they going to look you know commercial it's a com

is it be the same height as your current it. Well, overall it' be a little shorter because of the pitch of the roof, but the side walls are be 10 foot just like the existing. Is he over square feet? No, he's not. The only thing that he has on Yeah. The lead to where would lead to be facing the east side away from the road. You won't see a lead. is going towards the garden, right? Right. So, your door your door would be off the drive of course. What would be facing the street windows or

the four windows? Yeah. The main door would be on the side of the lane two. Under the lane two, you see the same windows. Yeah. Well, they're they're going to be green Anderson windows from Vontoles like we have now. And the shingles will match the house. Yeah. And the garage door will match. Same manufacturer. And then your pitch, you said 612. Yeah. We have high we have higher pitch now

because the price when I talked to He said that anything over 612 anymore is just outrageous. Well, it would look better if it was higher pitch. Well, I don't I know. You know, I you're talking I'm retired. You know, it might still look like a pull mark. You know, if you I want to work with you, but I think you should be at least A12. I mean, you got really nice pitch. You know, if you look at this picture here, it will blend in a lot. But from the road, you won't be able to really see it. You'll be seeing the broad side growth.

Well, you know what? I'm trying to be flexible with you, but you want to be rigid, you know. I, you know, I would be rigid. Don't I'm going prove this A12. You know, I think it will look a lot better. I mean, we put in the front yard, you know, and you try match. So, you're going to match the windows, okay? Match the siding. So J I suppose so but it can't be that it can't be I know it's a little bit more you know but well this is coming from a guy that does it every day

it told me he said anything over 612 pitch is ridiculously priced because I wanted to go 1212 he said you are going to pay and that's why my bid from Milar was 81,000 for a pole bar with 1212 pitch uh rafters. They're getting crazy. Everybody is on price. It's it's it's nuts. But I can't worry about that. I told you a hardship. Whatever. I'll do the 812 paid extra. I think I think you would really I think you would like at the end. I like to see higher really. Same as the other garage, but I'm trying to be reasonable because your garage is 12, right? Right. See,

you got that 12. You got that 12. That was only half. because we had people come in here try to match their house with the pitch also. Yeah. Lot of not everybody but lot. Well, that was our original plan to get the price because you got a nice house. I mean, I didn't want a squatty 412. And Ed has uncoupled not too far from you. Yeah.

Yeah. And uh and there's that one off of 400 and I was watching was building it. I was out there. I think you need appearance for something. I forgot. But yeah, I just if you read the 812 look, I'd like you to look at it again. You may want I don't how much difference make 1012 run the numbers, but I'm not require that. Once it's once it's built, stand back and say, "Oh, sure. I've done that or not." You know, and go look at others, ask I think he built off of 400. And there's a couple others down our road. I got 400.

I know he built one on the corner of 504. I think it's a a blue house. Not a blue. It's on It's down 400. Might be 500. It's the west side, but there's several out there. And there's a one that's Washington Township. It was back,000 ft. He came back twice for us. I can't remember the big mansion back there. Oh, Brad. Bradley. He's also Yeah. Where do they live? What?

Would you come in tomorrow or whatever? You can look it up. I just want you to look at that. I hate to see you. I know money is an issue. You may want to look at it. It's going to change the whole layout. I mean, I agree with you about the three buildings together. Okay. But, you know, in the end here, well, if you'll agree agree approve it for 812 and just put that down and that's what we'll do. Okay. And it's going to be used for personal business. Personal. Yeah. Yeah. And he has a signed document. You heard Christian or everybody has a sign document

which our neighbor to the north. We just saw a sign out in the spring or fall and they had an oversized FBI building put up just two doors down from me. I would guarantee you they're running their tire business out of there because they got rows and rows of semi tires and pallet rafting stood up behind that pole barn and we have to listen to a fork truck run. Did you put in a complaint?

Turn. there's an on go online and you can remain anonymous and put in a complaint and have our code enforcement guy go off there and take a look and see what's going on. Okay. Okay. See this what we're concerned about porn. Yeah. that turns a business. Yeah. Exactly. What we hear that's and now we know supposedly has a tire store in Portage and I don't know if this is use storage you know whatever but yeah if you could please turn that in. Yeah. Yep. You see any ConX boxes? You know they're I'm glad we didn't go that route. And me too.

Any comments on this? You agree with Okay, you're not upset. You're not upset with me, are you? We'll go with it. Make you spend some more money on it. Okay. It just wouldn't look right anywhere else. You may think we We've laid it out and pondered and pondered before we even came to you with it. Apparently, you were thinking that. Yeah. Yeah, we were originally, but yeah, just the amount we'd have to build it up. I used to be a builder. Okay. That's right. coming from a little bit experience. Yeah.

Okay. So, you know, I I've been there, but people tried to talk me into doing the 1212 with room storage rafters. It's like I don't need any more room for junk. That's a good guy. He's he is good. Okay. With that, I'm going approve case DB-2025-49 with understand it won't be used for business. You have to sign document personal storage and it would be placed where you have it marked out state and you will change the pitch to at least at least A12. Okay. And it will match the house as close as possible. Yeah. Even the windows. I mean

Oh yeah. Everything. Yeah. You got windows and closely as you can with the siding. Yes. So you're good. I miss anything? No. You're you're approved. Thanks for your time. Good luck. Anything else? No. Okay. Okay.

All right. You're welcome.