Jackson County Board of Zoning Appeals approved three variances, including one for a new pet store specializing in birds north of Seymour, during a recent meeting.
David M. and Karin E. Lee of 8843 N. U.S. 31, Seymour, opened Cameo Flights on the 2.35-acre site that once housed Bite the Bullet gun shop.
The owners of that gun store, which is next to a house, moved it to downtown Seymour in the fall of 2014.
County Building Commissioner Conner Barnette said a variance to open the pet store in the former gun shop was required because of a change in use.
“If someone had wanted to open a gun shop in that location, there would not be a need for a variance,” he said.
Karin Lee said Friday the couple was not initially aware of the zoning requirement and later decided to open April 9 in anticipation of approval for their request.
The former Columbus resident said she has about 250 birds and spends four to five hours a day in the shop tending to their needs.
The five-member board approved the variance unanimously and did the same for a variance requested by Legacy Monuments, a Crothersville company that makes memorials and gravestones.
The company, owned by Casey and Amanda Howard and Steven and Courtnee Scifres, presently is housed in a building at 4503 S. U.S. 31, but they want to move to a building at 6520 S. U.S. 31 because of the business’ growth, Barnette said.
That 1-acre site, owned by Keith and Adrian Masters, is presently zoned residential single family.
Barnette said since the county doesn’t have a classification for a monument business, it falls under miscellaneous business and requires a variance.
The company’s owners also are in the process of buying the property but want to make sure the variance was approved before doing so, Barnette said.
The board also voted 5-0 to approve a setback variance for Jimmie Lou Ault of 3837 W. State Road 258, Seymour.
Ault plans to construct an addition to an existing home on that 2.85-acre site and had sought to vary from the required front setback of 90 feet to 72 feet.