Pending Zoning and Variance Petitions

please note that the hearing dates are quite often changed - check back here to keep track of the currently scheduled hearing date for the pending petitions

On this page
petitions in discussion with Land Use Committee
Land Use Committee meeting schedule
petitions awaiting hearings at City Hall
petitions that have been decided by the City (1 year only)

Zoning Petitions that will be considered at the Civic Council meeting on March 25:

4925 W Southport Rd -- Estrada Siding, LLC, represented by Dan Jackson, seeks a variance to operate a commercial contractor business, including outdoor storage of commercial vehicles and supplies, on a residential parcel.
STATUS: [2024-UV2-005] This petition is scheduled to be heard by the BZA on May 21.

In discussions with Land Use Committee

6545 & 6200 W Southport Rd -- Arbor Homes seeks to rezone 105 acres from DA to D4 in order to develope a subdivision of 292 single family homes. This petition has not yet been filed.

6135 Furnas Rd - Eduardo Guzman & Nvdia Botero have just filed for a variance to allow for a landscaping business, including parking of commercial vehicles and trailers, permanent location of a 8'x40' storage container and a 15'x42' barn to store equipment for the business, on a residential parcel.

8245 Camby Rd -- paperwork just filed - details to come - Gonzalo Arreola & Josefine Ochoa appear to be requesting variances to allow them to run a construction business with parking of commercial vehicles and storage of commercial materials on a residentially zoned property.

4645 Tempe Ct -- Michael & Mary Morris, represented by Cindy Thrasher, seek a variance to allow for a 360 sq ft shed placed 1 foot from the property line (10 feet rquired).
STATUS: [2024-DV2-002] This petition is scheduled to be heard by the BZA on May 21.

Land Use Committee Meeting Schedule for 2024

April 18	May 16	June 20
July 18	August 15	September 19
October 17	November 21	December 19
We meet beginning at 6:00 PM in the Training Room of the Decatur Township Government Center / Firestation. Take the door at the rear of the building – stairs on your immediate left. The training room is half way down the hallway on your left.

The following cases are awaiting hearings at City Hall:

The Civic Council voted to support these petitions:

4896 Kentucky Ave -- Taco Bell of America, LLC, represented by Josh Graber, is seeking a rezoning of 0.67 acres from C-5 to C-4. They also seek a variance to allow the drive through lane to parrallel High School Road and for it not to have a dedicated bypass lane around the building.

STATUS: [2024-CZN-806, 2024-CVR-806] This petition is scheduled to be heard by the Hearing Examiner on March 29.

The Civic Council voted 'not to oppose' these petitions:

The Civic Council voted to oppose these petitions:

3210 Chief Lane -- Reagan Outdoor Advertising, represented by Jon Campbell, seeks a Special Exception to "relocate" a billboard taken by INDOT as part of the I-69 project and to build a new billboard within I-465 (not allowed). They also seek a variance to allow a 5 foot setback from Rand Rd (20 feet required), to be 400 feet of an interstate ramp ( 500 feet required) and be 148 feet from a protected district (300 feet required). They withdrew their variance request to have a 65-foot tall sign (40 feet max allowed).
STATUS: [2023-SE2-002] The Civic Council voted to oppose this petition. The variance portion of this petition was DENIED by the BZA on March 9. The Special Exception was a tie vote and will be heard again by the BZA on May 21.

Decided

7725 Kentucky Ave -- Lennar Homes, represented by Brian Tuohy, seeks to rezone 60.2 acres from C-4 and CS to D-4 to allow for a residential subdivision of 168 homes.
STATUS: [2023-ZON-119] The Civic Council voted to SUPPORT this petition. This petition was APPROVED by the Hearing Examiner on February 29.

6333 & 6345 W. Thompson Rd -- Derrick & Sue Emmons and Kentucky Avenue Holdings, LLC, represented by Bill Niemier, seek to eliminate 3 commitments from the 2003 zoning of 6345 and seek a variance for both parcels to legally run a painting contracting business and a U-Haul truck rental business in a C-1 (office uses only). This petition has been amended to withdraw the U-Haul business request and to limit the commitment change to only 1 - to allow two business vehicles to be parked overnight.
STATUS : [2023-CAP-856 / 2023-CVR-856 (Amended)] The Civic Council voted to oppose the original petition and voted to support the petition once amended. The Hearing Examiner denied this petition and the petitioner appealed her decision. The amended petition was APPROVED by the MDC on February 21.

9024 W Mooresville Rd -- Dean Ehrgott & Greg Gass, represented by David Gilman, seek to rezone 2.88 acres from D-A to D-1 to allow for two homes to be built.
STATUS: [2023-CZN, CPL-868] The Civic Council voted to SUPPORT this petition. This petition was APPROVED by the Hearing Examiner on February 15.

6328 Sharrob Rd -- Francisco Rocha seeks a variance for an addition to a single family dwelling (not permitted) with a 3-foot east side yard setback (30-foot setback required).
STATUS: [2023-UV2-012] The Civic Council voted to SUPPORT this petition. This petition was APPROVED by the BZA on December 12.

6921 Camby Rd, 6801, 6912 Mills Rd -- Arbor Homes seeks to rezone 106 acres from D-A to D-4 in order to build a residential subdivision.
STATUS: [2023-ZON-057] This petition was withdrawn on December 14.

4375 Kentucky Avenue -- Five Star Oil seeks to modify commitments from 2019-ZON-053 to extend the date certain commitments must be completed to Sept 30, 2023.
STATUS: [2023-MOD-009] The Civic Council voted to OPPOSE this petition. This petition was DENIED by the MDC on October 18.

8300 Camby Rd -- Indiana Members Credit Union seeks to rezone 2.67 acres from office uses (C-1) to neighborhood commercial uses (C-3).
STATUS : [2023-ZON-073] The Civic Council voted to OPPOSE this petition. The MDC APPROVED this petition on October 18.

6011 Copeland Mills Dr -- Jesse Cook seeks to modify commitments from the 1997 zoning to allow for a solid privacy fence.
STATUS: [2023-MOD-014] The Civic Council voted to SUPPORT this petition. This petition was APPROVED on August 24.

5745 Kentucky Avenue -- WaWa gas stations, represented by Joe Calderon, seek to rezone 2.6 acres from D-A to C-4 to allow for the construction of a gas station and convenience store.
STATUS: [2023-ZON-052] This petition was WITHDRAWN on August 10.

6107 Timberland Way -- Simone Ridgeway seeks to modify commitment #20 from 1997 zoning to allow a solid privacy fence.
STATUS: [2023-MOD-012] The Civic Council voted to SUPPORT this petition. This petition was APPROVED by the BZA on June 29.

The Petitioner files a zoning or variance request in City Hall. They must notify, by mail, all owners of lots either within 2 parcels from the one affected, or within 660 feet - whichever is less. They must also notify all registered Neighborhood Associations that claim the petitioner's land in their territory.

The Petitioner is invited to meet with the Decatur Township Civic Council Land Use Committee. If we hear of the project before the Petitioner files, we may begin our discussions early. It is the intent of the Land Use Committee to review the proposal, discuss its impacts on the immediate neighbors and the Township as a whole. We may possibly engage in negotiating with the Petitioner about their proposal in the expectation that something better for our community might emerge. The Land Use Committee decides what position it will recommend the full Council take on the Petition (support, not oppose, or oppose).

The zoning or variance petition is heard by the full Civic Council at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting. We hear the proposal from the Petitioner and comments for or against from any neighbors. The Land Use committee recommendation is stated, along with the reasons for that recommendation. Anyone in attendance may ask questions. All those who have been members of the Civic Council for 45 days, votes by paper ballot - either 'support', 'not oppose', 'oppose', or 'abstain'. The official position of the Decatur Township Civic Council is that which receives a majority of the votes cast.

The petition is then heard downtown at the City-County Building (200 E. Washington St). A zoning request may first be heard by the Hearing Examiner and then by the Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC). A variance request is usually heard by one of three Boards of Zoning Appeals (BZA). The Land Use Committee sends representatives to these hearings to give a presentation on the reasons for the Civic Council position.

Depending upon the Petition, there may be an appeal to the City-County Council of a decision by the MDC or BZA.