Board approves 50‑foot variance for landowner’s pole barn near regulated drains

The Noble County Drainage Board voted to grant a variance that lets landowner Jason Furr place a 30-by-60 pole barn on his recently purchased property at 500 South between 200 and 300 East, subject to conditions intended to protect regulated drain tiles.

Board members approved the variance after staff described two regulated drain tiles (Swihart #242 and a Branch Two) that cross the parcel and presented three siting options. Staff said the applicant’s flagged location measured roughly 38 feet from the closest tile; the board settled on a 50‑foot setback from the regulated drain centerline as the standard for approval.

Under the board’s motion, all utilities, including water, must be installed by directional boring at least 5 feet below the flow line of the regulated drain to reduce risk of damage. The landowner also must repair at his expense any harm done to the regulated drain or to the driveway where it crosses the drain during construction.

Jason Furr, who stated his name for the record, described the building as “just a pole barn” for small‑scale produce farming, animal shelter and equipment (he noted a Farmall 460 tractor) and said a concrete floor was likely. Furr said convenience and sight‑line concerns motivated locating the building closer to the opening rather than deeper in the trees.

Board practice informed the decision: staff recommended 50 feet as “more consistent with what we’ve done,” and the motion to approve the variance with the stated conditions was seconded and adopted by voice vote. Staff indicated that Sherry in the office will prepare the variance document for the landowner to sign.

The board’s action is procedural and conditional; it does not waive county highway driveway permits or separate access approvals the landowner must obtain from the county highway department before driveway construction.