Jay Ladwig, a Hennessey builder, was granted an easement variance on four lots in the northwest section of town where he is building two homes, both of which will be 2,005 square feet.

All existing homes on both Arapaho and Osborn streets are 25 feet from the curb and the new homes should have the same setback, Ladwig told Board of Adjustment members at their Wednesday, Sept. 29, Town Hall meeting.

The board’s approval allows Ladwig 25-foot easements from the curb instead of 40-foot setbacks which the town’s new building codes require.

At the Meeting

Four Board of Adjustment members attended the 10-minute meeting: Chairman Richard Hedrick, Dustin Vinson, Logan Macy and D.L. Knierihm.

The adjustment board’s decisions are final. Members are appointed by the Board of Trustees and they have yet to name a fifth member to that board.

The adjustment board hadn’t met for three years prior to its September and August meetings.

Staff at the meeting were Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman and Clerk Kati Walters.

In addition to Ladwig, others in the audience were town trustees Richard Simunek and Harold Shaw. Both Simunek and Shaw had voted against the new building codes.

Second Variance

This was the second Board of Adjustment meeting after the Board of Trustees approved the new codes last month.

On Aug. 19, a variance was granted to Delaney Property Group.

That company plans to build a 10,500 square foot Family Dollar/Dollar Tree store across State Highway 51 north of Pizza Hut.

The new codes required 52.5 parking spots, but Delaney asked, and was granted approval, for 34 parking spaces.

Under the old codes, the company would have been required to provide 70 parking spots, Tillman told the board.

New Codes and Fees

New codes were approved in a 3-2 vote last month by the Board of Trustees after it was turned down in 3-2 and 2-2 votes at earlier meetings.

The Planning Board had earlier made changes, then approved the new building codes and fees.

Those members are Hedrick, Vinson, Gary Stinebring, Dustin Munroe and Rachel (Meloy) Rogers.

Builder Complaints

New codes and permit charges came under fire by Ladwig and others in the building industry at earlier Board of Trustee meetings.

Builders complained that permits were too high and said the town needed an on-site inspector instead of someone part-time and from out of town.

Ladwig has also complained about dilapidated mobile homes on Arapaho Street where he is building new homes.

He said those mobile homes have been there a few years and the town had done nothing about getting them removed.

New Codes

Tillman said they’d been working with the Institute of Building and Technology Safety on them for more than a year.

Doug Moore with IBTS attended the July 8 meeting virtually and urged members to approve them that night.

He said the town “had already gone through the public vetting process.”

Naysayers in the audience asked for more time to review the new wording, and won when a vote to approve the new codes failed 3-2.

The 2-2 vote was July 29 when Board of Trustee member Keith Meek was absent.

Meek’s resignation was acknowledged at the town’s Sept. 14 meeting and his seat on the board hasn’t been filled yet.

Current Board of Trustee members are Mayor Bert Gritz, Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Simunek and Shaw.