Dan Richard, left, speaks during the county BZA meeting. Listening is Kevin McSherry.

By Tim Ashley
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Hayden Piersall wants to make a vacant building presentable again in North Webster. He hopes to purchase the building at 413 N. Main St. (SR 13) located where a gas station and automobile repair shop had been operating for several years but has been vacant for a few years.

Piersall petitioned the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday morning, Aug. 10, in Warsaw for an exception to allow motorized vehicle sales, service and repair in a commercial district. He also owns a car lot in Milford and said he wants to purchase the North Webster building if the zoning is approved so he can sell cars.

North Webster Town Council wanted Piersall to approach adjacent property owners and get feedback, which he did take care of. He said the building is vacant and is now an “eyesore” to the town of North Webster.

One neighbor who lives behind the property said he wants a privacy fence installed between his property and the property in question. He also wants to make sure none of the lighting on the building is pointed in his direction. Piersall said he only plans to have lighting installed that would face toward the North Webster Cemetery to the north.

Approval was given by the county BZA with the condition Piersall obtains a letter from the township trustee showing exactly where the fencing will be installed.

Keith and Patricia Duhamell’s petition for an attached garage on their property at EMS B61I Lane at Kuhn Lake, Tippecanoe Township, was approved. This petition was not on the Tuesday agenda of the BZA but was carried over from the hearing officer meeting Monday. Some neighbors objected to the petition saying it would block their view of the lake, but the BZA noted purchasing lake properties does not guarantee a view will remain permanently.

Other agenda items included:

• Chad Fox was given approval for an exception to allow a mobile home park unit to remain as reconstructed and to replace an existing shed in a residential district to EMS B14 Lane, west of SR 13 in Tippecanoe Township. He was also given a variance to allow a seasonal mobile home and deck to remain 5.75 feet away from a road, 7 feet, 5 inches from a trailer to the south and more than 10 feet away from adjacent trailers to the east and west.

• Alan and Christine Gunkel were granted a variance to construct a residence addition 4 feet, 6 inches from the west side and 5 feet from the east sideline with the overhang on Sullivan Road just north of Sechrist Lake in Tippecanoe Township.

• Allen Kalabsa was granted a variance for construction of a residence addition, a covered deck, and allow placement of a small shed on EMS B60 Lane, east of a stub road in Tippecanoe Township.

• Steven Vallee was granted a variance to allow an existing 6 foot tall sold fence to remain as placed 12 feet from the right of way when the ordinance requires 35 feet on SR 13, west of Trusdell Avenue in Turkey Creek Township. A condition placed on the approval is if improvements are ever made to SR 13, the BZA will take a look at the petition at that time.

• Anna Boucher was granted a variance to allow a gazebo to remain as placed 4.5 feet from the east right of way and 23 feet from the water’s edge on EMS B40F Lane, south of EMS B40 Lane in Tippecanoe Township. Boucher must also obtain a letter of approval from her neighbor to the east of her property.

• The Taylor family was granted a variance to permit construction of a new residence and garage 20 feet from the right of way and 6 feet from the south improved platted access to the lake on Wade Lane, south of 1st Trail in Epworth Forest, Tippecanoe Township.

• Joe Gallas was granted a variance to allow commercial addition to remain 17 feet from the water’s edge on Barbee Road, south of EMS B61 Lane in Tippecanoe Township at the old Barbee Landing restaurant. Gallas also plans to expand the available parking.

• Lamego was granted a variance to permit the construction of residence addition an average distance from the right of way when compared to the adjacent properties. It would also be 3 feet from the north property line. It is located on Mulberry Street, north of Washington Street in North Webster.

• Daniel and Marissa Burkhart were granted a variance to permit the construction of a second story residence addition above a carport on East Wawasee Drive, south of Cinderella Drive in Turkey Creek Township. The carport needs to stay open.