The Porter Board of
Zoning Appeals and the Plan Commission meet back-to-back, so Wednesday the
boards will be conducting six public hearings between them including
requests to enlarge a Porter Beach home and to erect two billboards
bordering Interstate 94 at the TA Travel Center on the south side of U.S.
20.
The Plan Commission
also will take public comment on proposed changes to the town’s fencing
rules. Each board has a preliminary hearing to conduct as well.
Three of the BZA
petitions were continued from the July meeting because the applicants either
didn’t show up or didn’t follow the required rules of procedure.
The BZA begins at
6:30 p.m. and the Plan Commission at 7 p.m. or at the conclusion of the BZA
if that meeting runs late.
Charles Welter has
a home at 2915 Dudley in Porter Beach but also uses the home at 2911 Dudley,
which he wants to enlarge. Doing so will increase the home’s non-conformity
with zoning laws so a BZA variance is required, according to town building
commissioner Mike Barry, necessitating the public hearing.
Tilden Enterprises
Inc.’s BZA public hearing is for a variance to reduce the required rear-yard
setback from 20 feet to 4 feet 6 inches when building a new storage facility
and attached office at the northwest corner of Lincoln Street and Porter
Avenue. The structure will replace the current inventory building at 340
Lincoln St.
Tilden Enterprises
has a companion public hearing Wednesday before the Plan Commission on its
need to combine lots 23 and 24 and 25-28 so all six in the Business-2 zone
are one lot of record prior to construction.
The BZA also will
conduct a public hearing for Brian Marx, 445 Franklin St., on his request to
extend a 6-foot high fence on the Hageman Avenue side of his corner lot. A
variance is needed because both streets are considered the front yard in
Marx’s case.
The BZA’s
preliminary hearing is for John Rooney, who requires a variance to erect a
4-foot-tall fence in the front yard at 580 Pinecrest Dr. in Marquette Pointe
subdivision. If the petition is in order, a future public hearing will be
set.
Whenever the Plan
Commission begins, in addition to the Tilden public hearing, planners will
conduct one for TA Operating LLC d/b/a Travel Centers of America. The
company wants permission to amend its Business-3 planned unit development
and allow Outdoor Nation LLC to erect two double-sided billboards, each sign
face being 14 feet by 48 feet in size.
An existing
billboard is located adjacent to I-94 on the parcel’s far west end behind
the large paved truck parking lot. The first new billboard would be erected
548 feet to the east of the current sign and the second 548 feet east of
there.
The night’s final
public hearing before the Plan Commission is on proposed changes to the
town’s fencing regulations including allowing fences and walls to be located
within the front yard if not exceeding 4 feet in height. Additional
front-yard requirements would apply, as well as requirements for side and
rear-yard fences in residential and non-residential zones.
At the conclusion
of the hearing the commission may forward a recommendation to the Town
Council for final adoption of the zoning changes.
The Plan Commission
meeting begins with a preliminary hearing for Mineral Springs Porter LLC
regarding requested changes to its Mineral Springs Villa planned unit
development, which was platted in 2006 but only one of the 18 lots has been
developed.
The 3.65-acre
project is located at the northeast corner of Beam Street and Mineral
Springs Road and is bordered on two sides by the Brickyard hike/bike trail.
Developer Larry
Gough is requesting that the town take over ownership of the roads, which
are now private; that paired-patio homes be allowed as well as single-family
detached residential units on Lots 7-12; and that single-story, 1 1/2-story
and two-story residences are permitted.
If the petition is
in order, a future public hearing will be set.
Both the BZA and
Plan Commission will hear public comment on other non-agenda matters as
their respective meetings begin.