Jean Hanna plans to tear down a boarded-up home at 301 23rd St. and build a new one.

She also eventually wants to split that 139-foot by 313-foot lot into two, necessitating approval from the Porter Plan Commission. But first the town Board of Zoning Appeals needs to consider Hanna’s variance requests.

Meeting Wednesday, the BZA set a public hearing on the petition for July 15. Hanna needs permission to reduce the split-lot frontages from the required 90 feet to 69 1/2-feet each, and to have her new front door face the side of her parcel.

Bruce Patterson, speaking for Hanna, said by moving the door location a nicer home can be built. The new front door would face south; the front of the lot faces east.

Porter director of engineering Matt Keiser said additional variances might be requested when Hanna subdivides, like seeking to waive the need for curbs and sidewalks. Vote to schedule the public hearing on the pending variances was 4-0 with BZA member Elka Nelson absent.

In other business the board unanimously approved a side-yard setback variance for Robert Sexton, who’s renovating a home at 209 Rankin St.

His planned 12-foot by 15-foot addition would follow the line of the existing home, but it is 3 feet from the property line instead of the minimum 7 1/2 feet. Granting the variance allows Sexton to expand a non-conforming use.

No one commented during a public hearing on the petition.

Posted 6/19/2009