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Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals heard concerns Tuesday about a construction proposal for a storage building and workshop in an agricultural district in Milford.
Isaac Miller presented a petition for an exception to allow the construction of a storage building and workshop for a home-based construction business at 2422 W. CR 1250N, Milford.
In November 2025, the BZA approved an exception and variance for Miller to allow his business to be in an agricultural district. At that time, Area Plan Director Matt Sandy said his department received complaints from a neighbor and school bus driver regarding semis parking on CR 1250N. The board approved Miller's requests, with the stipulations including Miller installing a driveway.
At the September meeting, Miller said he was wanting to relocate the operation to the west side of his property. BZA member Dan Richard said he travels CR 1250N a lot and frequently notices building materials sitting outside.
"What can you say to convince me that you'll get it all in there and comply on that side?" asked Richard. "All your materials, all that stuff's outside now. By looking at the prior conditions, this wasn't supposed to happen. And what can you say and do to convince me that it will on this side? You were supposed to be working on it on (the east side) and it deteriorated."
"If you recall from some of our previous discussions with Mr. Miller, I think this option of moving it to this other location came from the board if I remember right," said BZA Chairman Lee Harman. "So, he's trying to conform, and we don't want to run him out of business. We're just trying to work with you to make this safe for everybody involved."
Harman asked Miller about the possibility of giving him a year to reach a solution, but Sandy said the board should hear from remonstrators.
Kirk and Dawn Stichter, who reside directly west to the property, expressed concerns with noise and an increase of traffic in the area.
"On our driveway, the slope is definitely pronounced," said Dawn. "And I'm not sure where his proposal is to put the semis or park them, but we are at the top of the hill, and it would be difficult if there was a semi to our east, to see as we were exiting our driveway."
Shad and Shawn Krull with Krull Farms also expressed concerns with Miller's petition.
"This will start as a storage facility, but I can absolutely guarantee, as I've seen this time and time again, it will turn into his main business," said Shawn. "He's not intruding on himself; he's intruding on his neighbors. We already have a lot of surface water coming off this property onto our property, with just it being natural as a pasture right now, which I understand. But with a building and parking, it's just going to increase that."
Shawn also said they have had to continuously remove trash from their neighboring property as a result of the business.
"We've already caught him dumping stuff on our property, we asked for it to be cleaned up, and nothing was done," said Shawn. "He's built a good business. He's found a niche, that's awesome. This is not the location for it."
Following statements from remonstrators, Richard initially proposed denying Miller's petition. Harman said he was debating making a decision until the full board was present, as Board members John Beer and Kevin McSherry were absent.
The motion ultimately made by the board was to continue Miller's request out one month to allow Miller the opportunity to develop proposals and give those to the board prior to their meeting in order to give remonstrators the chance to look them over as well.
The board also continued additional cases that were on the agenda. A petition from Joe and Kari Ragin for property on the west side of EMS B49 Lane, southwest of CR 700E, near Sechrist Lake in the Barbee Lakes chain, was continued. The petition was for allowing a shed to remain on a tract without a residence in a residential district. Sandy suggested the board continue the petition to their October meeting as the Ragins were having discussions with the sewer district in the area.
A petition for a variance to allow a residence to remain as constructed at 107 EMS W26 Lane, North Webster, was also continued. The petition was presented by Robert and Nancy Cline, with their initial permit for the house stating it must be five feet from the north and south property lines, and 35 feet from the water's edge. The residence is 4.7 feet from the north property line, 4.8 feet from the south line, and 33.9 feet from the water's edge.
The board continued the Clines' request out to October to see if they could determine a solution on handling water runoff on the property.
A petition from Charles McKenzie for a residence addition construction at 6243 W. Dustys Road, Claypool, was also continued.
The board denied just one of the petitions on its agenda, approving the rest of its listed items, some with certain stipulations. The denied petition, presented by local attorney Steve Snyder on behalf of Greg Wyant, was for a variance allowing a new residence to be located 19 feet and four inches from the east water line at 328 E. North Kitson Lane, Syracuse, when the BZA granted 20 feet. No structure has been built, as it's currently in the design process.
