Cathy May, Contributing Writer

Judy Kincer appealed to the Ripley County Board of Zoning Appeals at their August meeting to place a temporary mobile home near her ailing mother. The location is Lot #1 in the Burn’s Agricultural Subdivision at 7649 N. State Road 101 in Milan. The three-acre lot is in Franklin Township.

The application was approved pending two contingencies: The six unlicensed vehicles have to be removed from the front of the property first and the approval is only for two years. At that time the home must be removed or the applicant return to the BZA to ask for an extension of time.

Commission Chuck Folz asked for help. There is an old trailer which has been stripped along State Road 350 near Pierceville. The county would like to haul the unsightly trailer away and clean up the area, which is now being used as a dump site for asphalt shingles, but the courthouse has no record of who owns the property.

Attorney John Ertel said the only thing he knew to do was to get a legal description of the property and put a notice in the newspaper that the county will remove the trailer unless the owner steps forward. Then the county would have the legal authority to remove the trailer.

Jeffrey R. Heidlage, applied for a variance from the required setback of 20' to 15' to permit construction of an attached garage to his residence at 12889 N. State Road 129 in Batesville. His request was granted.

All five members of the BZA were present at the meeting: Maureen Sheets, Roger Lang, Andy Scholle, Michael Baker and Denessa Benkie. Planning Director Tad Brinson and Attorney John Ertel were present to advise the board. The next meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals will be September 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Room of the Courthouse Annex in Versailles.