It was a busy night for the “table” as the Marshall County BZA pushed multiple decisions to their September meeting.
The most contentious hearing of the night revolved around a request for a variance regarding the height of a hedge.
Peter and Vickie Peuquet were requesting a variance to keep a hedge at the front of their property at Lake of the Woods.
County ordinance for such a hedge was that it needed to be no higher than three-and-a-half feet. The Peuquet’s have a hedge on their property considerably higher which Peter Peuguet maintains was planted in the 1980s, long before he purchased the property.
Peuquet stated that he had maintained the arbor vitae hedge since purchasing the property and that NIPSCO occasionally trimmed the tops to keep them out of power lines.
Neighbors Ashley and Terry Holderman appeared before the board to voice their objection to the variance for the hedge. Terry Holderman stated that it blocked his view of the lake and wanted that view back. He stated that he lived in his current residence before the hedge was put in by the previous owner.
Holderman stated that he didn’t know of the ordinance limiting the height of the hedge until he was reported by other neighbors with a similar complaint after building a fence on his property.
Holderman contended that the hedge had also grown over an easement on the property.
Two letters in favor of the variance were read into the meeting minutes.
The board tabled the matter to allow all the members to personally view the property before making a final decision.
A request by James Ziola for a variance to hold a one-time small music festival on his property on Olive Road was also tabled as neither Ziola nor a representative for him was present at the meeting.
Two requests were granted.
Lavine Enterprises was seeking a variance to allow them to expand their business, exotic car restoration, at their current location. Neighbors were also present to support the granting of that variance.
John Yutzy was also granted his variance for a dog kennel on his property.
Yutzy had already been running the business for over two years without knowing that he needed a variance for the operation and stated that he “…wanted to do everything the right way.”
Several neighbors were also present and spoke in support of the variance praising Yutzy for the way he ran the business for its cleanliness and attention to care for the animals.
With only three members present for the first part of the meeting, the board pushed another item to next month as it would be necessary for a unanimous decision to approve any action.
President of the BZA Jeff Gustafson gave petitioners Sheila Tinkle and Garrett Tharp the option of tabling their request until all the members were present. The request for a variance for a property split will be heard in September.
