County BZA approves requests

Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 10:00 PM

By Kathy Bottorff

Last week the Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals approved the request of Matt Troyer to operate a furniture woodworking shop as a home-based business at 1611 3^rd Road in Bremen.

Troyer had a permitted workshop but purchased the property next door and moved his business. He needed another permit for a home-based business for the new location.

Troyer told BZA members he wasn’t adding a new driveway, had enough parking space, and didn’t need any new lighting. He also said his hours of operation would stay the same, Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. and he would have a couple of semi-deliveries weekly that would unload on his property and cause minimal traffic issues.

With no comments during the public hearing, the Marshall County BZA approved his home-based business.

The BZA also granted Michael Hochstetler at 2484 2B Road in Bremen to increase the number of dogs in his approved kennel.

In the first quarter of 2023, Hochstetler was granted a special use variance for a 9 female dog kennel operation. He was asking to increase the number of female dogs to 20.

During the public hearing, one neighbor spoke in favor and said he assists Hochstetler with the rehoming process. He spoke of the “amazing” care given to the dogs.

Nancy Cox from the Marshall County Humane Society also spoke and while she gave Hochstetler extremely high praise on the kennel operation he has; she wasn’t in favor of 20 females.

There were no other comments and after consideration, the Marshall County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance of use for 20 female dogs.