New Albany Board of Zoning Appeals Approves Two Zoning Requests on April 7, 2026
New Albany Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting - April 7, 2026
The New Albany Board of Zoning Appeals held its regular meeting on April 7, 2026, with four members present (Max Coshman, Eric Martin, Bob Norwood, Dan Rhodes). The board considered two dockets: a special exception for an accessory structure in a steep slope district and a land use variance to permit a single-family dwelling in an industrial district. Both requests were approved unanimously with conditions. No public comments were received on either item.
Discussion Items
Docket B 1026 – Special Exception for Accessory Structure (Nathan Pinney, 1548 Sunset Drive) Nathan Pinney requested a special exception to build a 24-by-32-foot accessory structure on his 4.35-acre property, zoned Low Density Residential and Steep Slope. The two-story structure (768 sq ft ground floor) would serve as a personal workshop and home office for his wife. The proposed location has slopes ranging from 12.5% to 15%, just above the steep slope threshold of 12% defined in the 2019 zoning ordinance. Staff noted that prior to 2019, the threshold was 18%, at which point the structure could have been built by right. Board discussion included the rationale for the steep slope definition change, citing fire truck accessibility and soil stability concerns. Staff recommended approval with three conditions: (1) no drainage onto adjoining properties, (2) personal use only, and (3) exterior complementing the principal structure. The board voted unanimously to approve with staff recommendations.
Docket B 1226 – Land Use Variance for Single-Family Dwelling (Luke Medley, 519 & 525 Bald Knob Road) Luke Medley requested a land use variance to build a single-family home on two parcels totaling 2.28 acres, zoned Industrial (I-ND). The property is located in the two-mile fringe area just outside the city boundary and directly abuts Low Density Residential zoning. Staff found all five variance criteria met, noting that the industrial zoning conflicts with the predominantly residential character of the area and that the land has remained vacant since 2019. Staff is working on a zoning map update to rezone the area back to residential, which it was prior to 2019. Board members commented that the variance is appropriate given surrounding uses, including a recently approved residential subdivision nearby. Staff recommended four conditions: (1) minimize tree removal, (2) final site plan subject to staff approval, (3) no drainage onto adjoining properties, and (4) separate permit for future development. The board voted unanimously to approve with staff recommendations.
Key Outcomes
- Docket B 1026 approved unanimously (4-0) with three conditions.
- Docket B 1226 approved unanimously (4-0) with four conditions.
- The board noted that the pending zoning map update is expected to resolve the industrial zoning issue for the Bald Knob Road property.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everybody. I'll call to order the April 7th, 2026 regular meeting of the New Albany Board of Zoning Appeals. Can we start with a roll call, please? Max Coshman. Present. Jason the applicate? Here. Eric Martin. Bob Norwood? Here. Dan Rhodes. Here. Mr. Chairman, we have four members present. It will take a minimum of three to carry any motion. Thank you. There are two items on the agenda this evening. I want to give you a brief overview of how these meetings generally are conducted. When a docket is called and the applicant or their representative is asked to come forward, you'll have an opportunity to address the board and give us a brief overview of your project, what it is you intend to accomplish. And then we will have the opportunity to ask you some questions. At that point, we'll open the floor to public comment. Anyone who is here to speak either in favor of or in opposition to a docket will have an opportunity to do so. At that point, we'll hear the staff report, which is a report prepared by the planning and zoning staff, professional staff. And then we'll open the floor to a vote. So it's pretty straightforward. Let's begin with Docket B 1026. Nathan Pinney requesting a special exception to permit an accessory structure in the low design residential and steep slope districts at 1548 Sunset Drive. Could Mr. Pinney or is representative come forward? Hi, I'm Nathan Pinney. Nice to meet you. Tell us about your project. Yeah, so my intention is to build an accessory structure in my yard adjacent to my house. The structure would be uh brick structure that like matches the look and construction style of my house, so pretty high quality structure, 24 feet by 32 feet. The intended application um is personal. It's gonna be a workshop and a work from home space for my wife who currently works from our basement. And I submitted some drawings and I have a copy of them here if anybody would like to take a look. We have we do have some materials here. What would what would the the use of the structure be? Uh it's gonna be a workshop, like a wood shop. And the and the work from home space for my wife. So there'll be a finished part and then an unfinished like concrete slab part. Um so my property does have a slope. Um it's uh four point three acre property, so there's a lot of room. My house is built on the top side of it, and there's about a one-acre space that is relatively flat from the original development, and then like it falls away on the back. And this part this building would be built. What I would still consider to be the flat part, what is now just grass that is part of my lawn. Um the slope is I would say it I think we calculated this like 10 to 12 percent. Um you calculated it last time, thank you. Uh yeah, I have it in the report as 12 and a half percent to 15 percent.
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