Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting – February 23, 2026
Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting – February 23, 2026
The Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) held a regular meeting on February 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers, City Hall. The board elected its 2026 officers and considered three variance requests, all requiring public hearings. Decisions were made on each item, and findings of fact and prior meeting minutes were approved.
Election of 2026 Officers
- David Flohr was re-elected as Chair.
- Mike Speaker was elected as Vice Chair.
- Eric Scheidt was elected as Secretary.
- All elections were unanimous.
Public Comments & Testimony
- For each of the three variance petitions, the board opened a public comment period. No members of the public spoke during any of the public comment periods.
Discussion Items
BZA-25-1: Exclusive Cabins – Variance from minimum dwelling size
- Petitioner Josh Helby requested a variance to allow a 560-square-foot dwelling on a property at 14000 West Mount Healthy Road, located in the AG (Agricultural: General) district where the minimum dwelling size is 950 square feet. Helby stated the lot's steep topography and the presence of an old cistern limited buildable area, and that he had designed an upscale tiny home. Board members discussed whether granting the variance would set a precedent for tiny homes; staff noted each case is considered individually. Helby said he could potentially increase the size to 700 square feet with a different design but that the current application was for 560 square feet. After deliberation, the board voted 3-2 to approve the variance, finding all criteria met.
BZA-25-5: Silgas Realty – Variance to waive parking lot paving requirement
- Petitioner Jim Old of Silgas Realty requested a variance to allow an existing gravel parking and driveway area on the north portion of the property at 2725 North State Road 9 to remain unpaved. The area was expanded without prior zoning compliance and is in the I-2 (Industrial General) district. Staff noted that the southern paved portion is legal non‑conforming and that similar variances were previously granted to a neighboring concrete company. Board members discussed potential future heavy truck use, but the applicant stated the trucking company currently on site is dissolving and traffic will be minimal. The board voted 3-2 to approve the variance, citing precedent from neighboring properties and that criteria for variance were met.
BZA-25-8: GFVT II, LLC – Variance to allow expansion of accessory structure in front yard
- Petitioner Tan (representing GFVT II, LLC) requested a variance to add a 486-square-foot addition (garage with second‑story living) to an existing guest house located in the front yard (the area between the primary residence and the street) at 11490 West Maple Drive. The property is in the RS‑1 (Residential Single‑Family) district with a lake setting. Staff noted that other accessory structures in the immediate area are also located in front yards. The board unanimously approved the variance, finding all criteria satisfied.
Key Outcomes
- BZA-25-1 approved (3-2).
- BZA-25-5 approved (3-2).
- BZA-25-8 approved (unanimous).
- Findings of Fact for BUV-2025-003, BCU-2025-006, and BCU-2025-007 were approved unanimously.
- Minutes of the December 15, 2025 meeting were approved as submitted.
During informal discussion after the formal agenda, staff mentioned ongoing updates to the zoning ordinance, particularly regarding middle‑housing (duplexes, triplexes, ADUs) and potentially reducing the minimum dwelling size. Board members briefly discussed the rationale behind the current 950‑square‑foot minimum and the importance of allowing tiny homes in appropriate contexts.
Meeting Transcript
On the growing yeah, the it's been deannexed, and then we pulled back to the two-mile planning jurisdiction. So it's county property. It's county property. So that whole little uh intersection of nine and forty-six, that's all county. We haven't had anything happening out there recently, but that's now all county. You guys have that same thing. Five years ago. That was a bad decision. Yeah. So they're getting ready to leave you some stuff. Is that what I read somewhere? We have got a whole slew of updates for making to the zoning ordinance, largely related to housing. Sort of the mid-level housing. Yes, sort of based on I mean it's it's it's a nationwide thing where they talk about this middle housing where it's like you've got two types of housing. You've got single family and you've got apartments, and there's like all this stuff in between that just a lot of zoning ordinances make really hard to do. And there's a book out there that a lot of people reference, but in Columbus, we don't have national builders, very few that specialize in those things. Like it, you know, you see those projects in Indianapolis, you see them in bigger markets, but they you don't see them in the smaller markets, but we have a lot of like local people that do little projects, and so we've been kind of working with that in mind to try and make some of the barriers lower to not make it quite so difficult. Require 10 years, yeah, for some of those more smaller ADUs and duplexes and triplexes and things like that, because pretty much right now you have to go through some process to make those things happen. And so we're kind of being very strategic, but we're we're sort of looking at how maybe in some places those are permitted. Um of them we didn't have any you had to get a use variance to do, and so now they're conditional use instead. And so we're we're taking a really hard look at that. Um Jesse, our long-range planner, and Jeff have been working quite a while on that. So I have a detour to get started. Uh like to call a meeting of February 23rd, 2026, above Audi Account Board of Zoning Appeals Order. I'm day four, and I will serve as the presiding officer. The board's five members. We'll be dealing with a roll call of the board and the planning public staff. Independence this evening. We'll start down there at the end. Rodney Finky. Mike Speaker, Eric Scheit, Arnold Cascal. Melissa Begley. Board members have received a report drafting on the site. Are these on when they're read or when they're okay? Yeah. Board members have received a report drafted by the planning department on each petition to be heard this evening. For each item, we will provide an opportunity for the public to speak. When recognized, please begin by stating your name and address for the record. We ask that you keep your comments related to this application only and try to avoid repeated points that have already been made by other speakers. This is a judicial proceeding and remarks made by petitioners and members of the public are considered testimony. I would like our staff attorney to swear in anyone, a petitioner or a member of the public who plans to present testimony on this evening's petition. All those who go to speak, you'd like to raise your writing of hand, please. The whole truth, the nothing truth. So I so say I do. I do. Okay. Officers for 2026. So I uh I move that uh date uh floor be continuing as uh president of the board of zoning appeals, as chair I second that they seconded that I continue as chair of the board of zoning appeals, or they would say aye. That I continue as chair of the board of zoning appeals, all in favor say aye. I aye opposed.
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