PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals gave a variance of use to a Bremen farmer to add to his CFO business on Grape Road in Bremen.
Caleb Coffel came before the board for a third time seeking to add two barns for broiler chickens to his current business. Just as in the first two attempts several neighbors opposed to the expansion also made their voices heard.
The variance of use was to amend a setback of 1320 feet from a neighboring structure part of the Marshall County ordinance for such an operation. The state of Indiana only requires a 400-foot setback for such an operation.
In his last attempt, Joseph Stoller, who owns property across the street from Coffel, objected since the neighboring structure belonged to him and voiced his objection, saying that the setback should be adhered to.
Since that unsuccessful attempt at a variance, Coffel has purchased an adjacent property for the purpose of expansion. In this case, there is also a neighboring structure that is not quite in the required setback for a neighboring structure and Coffel asked for the variance to 500 feet. He also had the written approval of the two neighbors, Michael Leeper and Audra Berg, owning the structure and the adjacent property for the allowance.
Stoller again expressed his objection based on increased truck traffic saying that each month 30 to 40 more trucks would be on the road to haul the 80,000 birds out and bring new birds in. He also restated his objections based on the smell of the operation and the lowering of property values.
The area is currently zoned for agricultural activity, but the town of Bremen again voiced their objection to the expansion citing the town’s plans to develop property to the north for housing.
While there is no “imminent” development planned the town says feels that the expansion less than a mile outside of the city limits would be a long-term impediment to any such development.
Coffel has obtained the needed IDEM permits for the expansion and meets all the other standards of the county ordinance.
The board voted for the variance 4-1 with Trent Bennett voting no.
