Board approves 30-by-40 garage in front-of-house location with conditions

A local zoning board granted a variance allowing Michael and Sherry Taylor to place a 30-by-40 accessory garage with an 8-by-40 lean-to in what county staff described as the property’s front-yard area at 435 North 400 East in Washington Township. The approval was conditioned on exterior matching, a minimum roof pitch and a signed affidavit that the structure will be used only for personal storage.

The Taylors, who said their home sits about 700–800 feet from the road on a five-acre parcel, asked to locate the garage ahead of the house near an existing turnaround for ease of access and to avoid moving garden and driveway areas. They said stick-built construction that matches the house’s windows, shingles and siding would be more aesthetically pleasing than a pole barn.

Board members said they did not find a strict “hardship” in the regulatory sense but indicated willingness to approve after securing design and use conditions. The board directed the Taylors to change the planned roof pitch to at least 8/12, to match siding, shingles and windows “as close as possible” to the existing house, to place the structure where the applicants had staked it, and to sign a document confirming the garage will not be used for business. Staff noted the standard process for anonymous online complaints and local code enforcement to address suspected noncompliance.

The board closed the public hearing after no public speakers opposed the proposal. The approval included the conditions above; the applicants were instructed to work with staff on permit details and to provide the required affidavit prior to permit issuance.

Board discussion referenced neighboring properties and prior cases to explain the county’s typical reluctance to allow accessory buildings in front-yard areas, but the board cited the parcel’s large size, distance from the road and planned design matching as factors supporting the conditional approval.