By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
A building that has been standing empty for a few years may soon be housing families. The Bucyrus City Board of Zoning Appeals approved a conditional use request Tuesday to turn the former ambulance service building into a four-unit apartment building.
Edward and Barbara Stofcheck, who live in Marion County, have already been hard at work making improvements upon the building at 848 W. Mary St. New windows have been installed along with a new retaining wall. The couple has also attempted to address rainwater issues by working with the city’s engineering department.
Edward Stofcheck said that, though there was room for three apartments upstairs, they decided to split the upper level only into two living spaces in order to attract buyers that would be inclined to stay longer.
The couple has also doubled the parking space at the building by demolishing the building’s addition. There is now space for eight or more cars.
The Board of Zoning Appeals received two responses from neighbors in regards to the conditional use request. Both responses were not in favor of the request, citing such things as increasing traffic, having a turnover of tenants, and concerns about the property not being maintained.
Board member Harry Lipscomb found the pattern of non-maintenance to be concerning.
“Everything we’ve done has been done to improve the place,” argued Stofcheck. He admitted that the project has been slow but their goal is to make nice apartments.
Many board members were concerned about the issues brought up by one neighbor, especially when the neighbor requested a fence or barrier be put up between her property and the Stofcheck property. Planning and Zoning Administrator John Rostash said a fence or barrier is a condition that should be considered by the board because the apartment complex is a conditional use request in a residential neighborhood. Rostash added, however, that no fence would allow the neighbor to be aware of any nefarious activity in the vicinity and to report it to the police.
The Board of Zoning Appeals moved to approve the conditional use request. Richard Rockwell, Harry Lipscomb, and Janet Herman voted in favor of the request while Floyd Farmer was the single naysayer of the group.
“If the neighbors aren’t in favor of it, I’m probably not in favor of it,” Farmer reasoned.
The request was granted.
The Stofchecks purchased the property in 1995 and had been running an ambulance service out of the building up until a few years ago when the city went with a different service. Stofcheck said they hoped to use the income from the rentals during their retirement.