Jerry Nix, MKM architecture + design, Fort Wayne, shows the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals the plans for the property at 3090 Frontage Road on Monday. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — Bowen Health plans to develop about 4 acres along Frontage Road into group housing and office space.

Monday night, Oct. 28, Bowen Health petitioned the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals for two use variances for the building projects.

The property is between Valley Forge Apartments and More Farm Store.

The first petition from Bowen Health, according to Warsaw Assistant City Planner Jackson Longenbaugh, was for a use variance to allow group housing in a Residential-2 zoning district.

“This will be a Bowen Health transitional living property. This will include three group homes that will have 12 residents, plus full-time staff. There will be two apartment buildings with five individual apartments in each, with care from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., as needed. … The whole purpose of this property and the development is focused on specialized transitional living,” Longenbaugh said.

He said the planning department’s opinion was that the variance to allow group housing at this parcel could be approved.

Jerry Nix, MKM architecture + design, Fort Wayne, said the property in consideration is 4.14 acres at 3090 Frontage Road. The proposed development will be three homes, which will have 12 transitional residents in each home that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each household will be a single-story residential-style building. Each building will be approximately 4,100 square feet in area. There will be two apartment complexes with five one-bedroom units, with each unit being about 650 square feet in area.

“Bowen Health will provide assistance to the apartments from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the homes will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “The site development, with all six total buildings that we’re proposing over a phased approach, will be specialized in allowing residents to transition through the process.

The goal for all patients is to transition back to independent living.”

He said the development by Bowen will increase the value of the surrounding properties. While the property is 4.14 acres, a fair amount of it is wetlands, so utilization of the whole property is not feasible. He said the development does not impinge on the city’s comprehensive plan.

Marci Wicks, Bowen Health director of transitional living, said they already have two group homes in Warsaw and one in Plymouth.

“Basically, what we do is, we help those that are struggling,” she said. “… Our goal is to help them get back into the community. We serve a lot of people from a lot of different walks of life. And, at the end of the day, our main goal is how do we help them? What do they need? Everyone has different needs, and so we’re a very individualized program.”

With the new group home build, Wicks said they’ll have a campus and be able to transition people through the continuum of care from a group home, to an apartment and then out to the community.

A current resident of Harbour’s Group Home in Warsaw talked about himself and how Bowen Health has helped him.

With no remonstrators, the variance to allow group housing was unanimously approved.

The second petition from Bowen Health was for a use variance to allow office space in a Residential-2 zoning district at the same location. Office space is not allowed in an R-2. Longenbaugh said “it’s kind of a catch-all building” that will serve a variety of purposes, including counseling, general staff and basic meeting spaces. The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and there are expected to be one to two staff members that fluctuate.

He said it was the opinion of the Planning Department that this variance could be approved to allow the office space, and the board gave its unanimous approval.

There were no remonstrators.

In other business, the BZA approved:

• Bomy Singh’s petition for a use variance to allow a residential use in a Commercial-2 zoning district at 1403 E. Winona Ave.

Longenbaugh said the intention is to create a living space above the restaurant in the existing building. The plan is to use the space for employees. There are expected to be a maximum of four residents. This could potentially be rented out in the future.

Singh said there’s existing space above the restaurant with a separate entrance from the back of the restaurant. It’s approximately 25 feet by 25 feet and not in use.

“Very often, we have a problem with the workers and, being special food, we have to hire some special people and they come from out of state sometimes,” he said.

The workers ask about living space, at least initially when they start working there, and the living space above the restaurant would provide a place for them to reside, at least temporarily.

The residence will have its own restroom facilities, Singh said.

There were no remonstrators.

• A variance from development standards to allow a 5-foot by 7-foot sign in a Residential-1 zoning district at 3015 Hemlock Lane, as requested by Park Ridge South LLC.

New housing developments are allowed one monument sign at the entrance of the addition, Longenbaugh said. The sign may not exceed 16 square feet in area and 4 feet in height, therefore the variance is needed. The proposed sign is 5 feet by 7 feet, which is nonconforming. Longenbaugh said the petitioner plans for the proposed to be externally illuminated, which is permitted.

“It is the opinion of the Planning Department that this variance for a 5-foot by 7-foot sign be approved at 3015 Hemlock Lane,” he said.

Patrick Martin, vice president of construction for Granite Ridge Builders, Fort Wayne, said when they ordered the sign, there was a discrepancy in the paperwork. When the sign was received, it was larger than what they thought they had ordered.

• Ernie and Patricia Morrison’s request for a special exception to allow a single-family residence in a Commercial-2 zoning district at 701 S. Buffalo St.

The property is considered a nonconforming use but has been there for a long time, Longenbaugh said. “This variance is to maintain that use whatever happens to that property.” The owner has been asked by her lender to pursue the variance in order to sell the property to maintain that use in the future, he said.

Based on the findings of fact, it is the opinion of the Planning Department that this variance to allow a single-family residence be approved at 701 S. Buffalo St., he stated.

Patricia Morrison explained, “I had my house sold a few months ago and about a week before it was supposed to close, the appraiser sent” her notification that the parcel was zoned Commercial-2, which doesn’t allow for residential use. The sale ended up falling apart.

There were no remonstrators.

• Eric and Bobbi Kosins’ petition for a variance from development standards to allow a side yard setback of 6 feet, 4 inches in a Residential-1 zoning district at 1015 Country Club Lane. The petitioner is turning their existing deck into a home addition. Per the zoning ordinance, they are required to maintain a 7-foot side yard setback.

“They’re barely encroaching on that setback,” Longenbaugh said.

In October 2018, the property was approved for a 5-foot side yard setback for the deck that currently is there.