Board allows 12-acre buildable lot for Dixie Meadow Farms LLC on Klein Trail

On Feb. 11 the St. Joseph County Area Board of Zoning Appeals granted a lot-size variance to permit construction of a primary dwelling on a roughly 12-acre parcel on Klein Trail owned by Dixie Meadow Farms LLC.

Area Plan Commission staff (Adia Smith) told the board that while some evidence suggested the parcel could be legally nonconforming, staff lacked the documentation required to establish that status and recommended approval of the developmental variance so the petitioner could build a single-family home. Smith noted that many adjacent lots already contain dwellings on parcels smaller than 20 acres and that the proposed use would be compatible with surrounding properties.

Attorney Eli Wax, representing Dixie Meadow Farms LLC, said the request is consistent with neighborhood character: "If you look to the South and to the Southwest, there's a bunch of parcels with residences on them on less than 20 acres," he said. No members of the public spoke for or against the petition.

Tom Byers moved to approve the variances in accordance with the staff report; the motion was seconded and the board voted to grant the relief. The board said it would issue written findings documenting the basis for the variance and any conditions attached to approval.