OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals Division III Meeting - January 20, 2026

Board of Zoning Appeals III — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionBoard of Zoning Appeals III
DateTuesday, January 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 50:50

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

I'm going to call this meeting to order.

0:04

Good afternoon.

0:05

Before we begin today's meeting, we are going to take care of a little business.

0:10

We're going to appoint a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and a secretary of Division 3 of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

0:17

So is there any member who wishes to serve as chair?

0:22

I'd like to nominate Joanna Taft as chair.

0:26

Is there a second?

0:27

Yes, I second that motion.

0:28

We will now vote to elect Joanna Taft chair.

0:32

All in favor say aye.

0:34

All right.

0:35

Is there any member as anybody opposed?

0:39

I'm abstaining, by the way.

0:42

Is there any member that wishes to serve as vice?

0:45

There needs to be three votes.

0:46

I'm not abstaining.

0:48

I am voting for myself.

0:50

Okay.

0:51

Um do we need to redo that?

0:54

Okay.

0:55

All right.

0:55

So now that we know how to do it, um, the next per is there any member that wishes to serve as vice chair.

1:00

I'd like to nominate Mr.

1:02

Brian Hennett.

1:03

Now we're gonna have a second.

1:06

I will second, and we'll vote on Brian Henning right now, vice chair.

1:11

All in favor say aye.

1:13

Aye.

1:14

Is there any member that wishes to serve as secretary?

1:19

Yes, I would like to nominate Percy Bland.

1:22

Secretary.

1:23

I'm gonna second that for Percy Bland.

1:26

And now we'll vote to elect Percy Bland's secretary.

1:29

All in favor, say aye.

1:31

I would like to vote for myself.

1:33

Okay.

1:34

This is now this is a public hearing at the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals, Division III.

1:39

I am Joanna Taft, Chairperson of Division Three.

1:43

Other board members present to my right, Percy Bland Jr.

1:46

and to my left, Brian Hannon.

1:48

Legal counsel for the board today is Chris Steinmetz.

1:51

Staff members present today from the Division of Planning are Jeffrey York, current planning manager, Bryce Patts, current planning manager.

2:03

Robert Ulenhaik, senior man uh planner, Noah Stern, senior planner, Michael Weigel, senior planner, Marty Weiste, Senior Board Specialist and Secretary to the Board.

2:18

The board has copyings of the copies of the zoning ordinances that will be incorporated by reference into the record of each case heard today.

2:25

The proceedings of this hearing are governed by the board's rules of procedure.

2:29

The expedited cases will be heard immediately after all requests for continuances or withdrawals.

2:34

As each non-expedited case is called, petitioners and remonstrators interested in that particular case will please stand.

2:40

Those who intend to testify will please remain standing and be sworn.

2:44

Petitioners should be on your left and remonstrators on your right as you face the board.

2:49

Those who testify will state their name and address for the record before beginning to testify.

2:53

Petitioners and persons appearing in support of the case being heard should have a maximum of 15 minutes for the presentation of evidence, statements, and arguments in support of the petition.

3:03

Remonstrators and persons appearing in opposition to the petition shall have a maximum of 15 minutes for the presentation of evidence, statements, and arguments in opposition to the petition.

3:13

Staff will then present the administrator's comments regarding the petition.

3:16

The petitioner then will then be allowed five minutes for rebuttal and a summation of the case.

3:21

Rebuttal must be limited to subject matter of the initial presentations.

3:25

Remonstrators will then be allowed five minutes for a rebuttal of the petitioner's rebuttal evidence and a brief closing statement.

3:32

No further evidence, statements or arguments will be heard unless it's at the discretion of the board.

3:38

Please limit your testimony and evidence to the matters covered in the statutory requirements, which must be met in order for the board to grant a variance.

3:46

If the petitioners have failed to comply with all notice requirements as stipulated by the board's rules of procedure, including posting of the notice signed on the subject property at least 23 days prior to the hearing.

3:56

The board may continue the petition.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Sign Regulation██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Zoning and Land Use██████████████████████████26%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Transportation Safety█████████████13%
Summary of Proceedings

Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals Division III Meeting - January 20, 2026

The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division III held a public hearing on January 20, 2026, at 6:15 PM. The meeting began with the election of officers: Joanna Taft as Chair, Brian Hannon as Vice Chair, and Percy Bland as Secretary. The board approved minutes from the December 16, 2025 meeting and granted a waiver of rules to allow voting on expedited petitions without additional testimony. Several continuances and administrative items were addressed before hearing two dockets: an expedited docket and a full docket. The only contested case was a variance for a billboard height increase.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes (Dec 16, 2025): Motion by Hannon, second by Bland; unanimous approval.
  • Waiver of Rules for Expedited Petitions: Motion by Bland, second by Hannon; unanimous approval.
  • Acknowledgment of Mistaken Docket Entry: Petition 2025-UV-3025 (3005 Carson Avenue) was added to the docket by mistake; acknowledged.
  • Acknowledgment of Withdrawal: Petition 2025-UV-3035 (10211 Hidden Meadow Lane) was withdrawn by the petitioner; acknowledged.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public provided testimony or comments.

Continuances

  • 2025-MO-3003 (3030 North Shadeland Avenue): 30-day continuance to February 17, 2026, without additional notice. Motion by Bland, second by Hannon; unanimous.
  • 2025-DV-3016 (2360 Prospect Street): Continuance to February 17, 2026, without additional notice. Motion by Bland, second by Hannon; unanimous. Staff noted five previous continuances.
  • 2025-SE-3003 (4555 South Harding Street): Continuance to February 17, 2026, due to petitioner's absence. Motion by Hannon, second by Bland; unanimous.
  • 2025-MO-3002 (2719 North Emerson Avenue): Continuance to February 17, 2026, without additional notice. Motion by Hannon, second by Bland; unanimous.
  • 2025-DV-3020 (4102 Madison Avenue): Final continuance to February 17, 2026, without additional notice, to revise site plan. Motion by Hannon, second by Bland; unanimous.

Discussion Items

  • Expedited Docket: The board considered three expedited petitions: 2025-DV-3034 (7110-7304 East 21st Street), 2025-UV-3036 (2236 East 75th Street), and another 2025-UV-3036 (2236 East 75th Street, likely a transcription duplicate). After no opposition, the board voted to grant 2025-UV-3036 unanimously (Taft, Bland, Hannon all yes). The other expedited cases were not individually voted on in the transcript.
  • Full Docket – Petition 2025-DV-3035 (7930 Castleton Road): Petitioner Outfront Media, represented by Alan S. Townsend, sought a variance to increase the height of an off-premise advertising sign from 40 feet to 60 feet. The sign had been approved for relocation in 2023 after the Indiana Department of Transportation’s ClearPath project required its removal via eminent domain. Townsend argued that a concrete barrier now partially obstructs the 40-foot face, and the city council’s 2025 amendment to the sign ordinance now allows 60 feet. He provided renderings showing improved visibility at 60 feet. Staff recommended denial, stating that the proposed 60-foot height would not meet other dimensional standards (setbacks, proximity to other signs and ramps) and that no site-specific practical difficulty had been demonstrated because visibility at 40 feet might be adequate from other lane positions. The board questioned both sides. The petitioner argued state law permits elevation to restore visibility. The board voted 3-0 to grant the variance (Hannon, Bland, Taft all yes).

Key Outcomes

  • Expedited Variance Granted (2025-UV-3036): Unanimous approval for construction of a 280-square-foot garage with variances in front yard, side yard, and open space.
  • Height Variance Granted (2025-DV-3035): Unanimous approval to increase the billboard height to 60 feet, modifying the 2023 special exception.
  • All Requested Continuances Granted: Five cases continued to the February 17, 2026 hearing.
  • Administrative Actions: Minutes approved, waiver granted, mistaken entry and withdrawal acknowledged.

Meeting Transcript

I'm going to call this meeting to order. Good afternoon. Before we begin today's meeting, we are going to take care of a little business. We're going to appoint a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and a secretary of Division 3 of the Board of Zoning Appeals. So is there any member who wishes to serve as chair? I'd like to nominate Joanna Taft as chair. Is there a second? Yes, I second that motion. We will now vote to elect Joanna Taft chair. All in favor say aye. All right. Is there any member as anybody opposed? I'm abstaining, by the way. Is there any member that wishes to serve as vice? There needs to be three votes. I'm not abstaining. I am voting for myself. Okay. Um do we need to redo that? Okay. All right. So now that we know how to do it, um, the next per is there any member that wishes to serve as vice chair. I'd like to nominate Mr. Brian Hennett. Now we're gonna have a second. I will second, and we'll vote on Brian Henning right now, vice chair. All in favor say aye. Aye. Is there any member that wishes to serve as secretary? Yes, I would like to nominate Percy Bland. Secretary. I'm gonna second that for Percy Bland. And now we'll vote to elect Percy Bland's secretary. All in favor, say aye. I would like to vote for myself. Okay. This is now this is a public hearing at the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals, Division III. I am Joanna Taft, Chairperson of Division Three. Other board members present to my right, Percy Bland Jr. and to my left, Brian Hannon. Legal counsel for the board today is Chris Steinmetz. Staff members present today from the Division of Planning are Jeffrey York, current planning manager, Bryce Patts, current planning manager. Robert Ulenhaik, senior man uh planner, Noah Stern, senior planner, Michael Weigel, senior planner, Marty Weiste, Senior Board Specialist and Secretary to the Board. The board has copyings of the copies of the zoning ordinances that will be incorporated by reference into the record of each case heard today. The proceedings of this hearing are governed by the board's rules of procedure. The expedited cases will be heard immediately after all requests for continuances or withdrawals. As each non-expedited case is called, petitioners and remonstrators interested in that particular case will please stand. Those who intend to testify will please remain standing and be sworn. Petitioners should be on your left and remonstrators on your right as you face the board. Those who testify will state their name and address for the record before beginning to testify.

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