By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Bowling Green Zoning Board of Appeals last week rejected a variance request from a manufacturer that has reportedly been less than a good neighbor.
The board voted 5-2 to deny a variance for Vehtek Systems, located in the Wood Bridge Business Park on the east side of Bowling Green. The company has the option of altering its plan and refiling with the city, or appealing the decision to the Wood County Common Pleas Court.
Vehtek Systems designs, develops, and manufactures automotive systems, assemblies, modules, and components primarily for sale to original equipment manufacturers.
The company had requested a variance to allow the construction of a “wayfinding” sign that would be 5 square feet larger than the maximum 3 square feet allowed, at its new second building in the business park, at 134 Woodgate Drive.
No one representing Vehtek attended the meeting, but the owner of FastSigns explained company officials felt the sign regulations were limiting and would be difficult for truck drivers to see.
Zoning Board of Appeals members had several questions about the variance request.
“Unfortunately, they aren’t here to speak to that,” Zoning Board President Rod Noble said.
Board member Tim Emmerich asked about the company providing some type of low landscaping around the sign.
“I’m sure they will comply,” Karrie Brock, of Fast Signs, said about Vehtek.
But zoning board members weren’t so sure.
Board member Jeff Crawford talked about the failure of Vehtek at its other plant in Wood Bridge to take into consideration the residential neighbors along East Poe Road. The neighbors have repeatedly asked that towering stacks of storage racks be removed from the north side of the plant.
“It’s been an issue with some of their neighbors,” Crawford said, adding that he wants to make sure the second site doesn’t have the same problems. “I feel like I need more questions answered.”
A covenant for Wood Bridge Business Park does not allow outside storage, but the agreement does not allow the city to enforce. The city’s updated zoning ordinance does address outdoor storage at industrial sites.
The only official who has been able to make headway with the company has been Fire Chief Bill Moorman, who worked with the plant management to improve safety on the site by getting rid of some racking, and by moving employee parking away from the building so fire emergency vehicles can get close to the building when responding.
Back in 2019, Lesley Riker, reported to the city that from her home on East Poe Road she has watched the racks piled up outside the Vehtek manufacturing plant grow as high as 40 feet.
According to Riker, the stacks are an eyesore, have caused the value of the neighbor’s home to drop, and have killed trees planted as a buffer along Poe Ditch.
That same year, Vehtek officials requested a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to allow for a 10 foot tall chain link fence with screening along the northern property line. The fence would be three feet taller than allowed for a fence – though 30 feet shorter than the storage racks.
Riker said the fence would do little to improve the view from her home.
But no one representing Vehtek attended that zoning board meeting either. So then-president Judy Ennis suggested the matter be tabled until someone from the company could be present to answer the board’s questions. However, instead of showing up for the next monthly zoning meeting, company officials withdrew their request.
