Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals met for the first time in 2013 Tuesday morning in Warsaw and among the agenda items considered was a petition for solar electricity panels for a warehouse in Milford.

LMA-HUF Development petitioned the BZA for a variance to permit generating solar electricity on the warehouse used by Biomet on Old SR 15, south of CR 1300 North. The BZA granted approval for solar panels to be installed by Solscient Energy of Toledo, Ohio. Electricity will be generated and sold back into the grid, noted Dan Richard, area planning director.

In other business, Owen Cobbum was granted approval for a 70 by 98 storage building on the east side of SR 13, just south of CR 500 North in Tippecanoe Township. No outside storage will be allowed as a condition for the approval.

Michael and Joni Katz’s petition to allow a covered deck to remain 29 feet from the water’s edge on property on Majestic Way at the intersection with Marine Key Drive in Turkey Creek Township was denied. A permit to build the deck was issued for the deck to be 35 feet from the water’s edge, but the contractor built it at 29 feet instead. Two adjacent property owners submitted letters saying they were not in support of the petition.

The BZA gave Michael and Joni Katz until July to have the deck moved to 35 feet from the water’s edge.

Joseph and Paulette Moody’s petition to permit the construction of a guest house 4.4 feet from the right of way and 1 foot from the water’s edge on Bayshore Drive in Turkey Creek was continued until the Feb. 12 meeting. The BZA wants to see a more detailed site plan for the house.

Jason and Emily Traycoff dropped their petition to allow a home based business, in this case a restaurant, on property zoned agricultural on CR 900 North, east of CR 100 East in Van Buren Township. Richard noted the Traycoffs were hoping to purchase an old two-story brick farmhouse but someone else bought the property instead.

And Alan Kado was granted an exception and a variance to modify an open gazebo on his property on Wade Lane, east of Sixth Trail in Tippecanoe Township.