Pickleball Court Proposed for Former Vet Clinic Property in Jasper

Richard and Janice Rudolph, as Owner and Robert and Karen Whitten, as Petitioner, appeared before the Jasper Board of Zoning Appeals for their property located at State Road 56. 

The petitioner, Robert Whitten, sought approval to build a single pickleball court on a narrow 0.8-acre parcel, which was previously part of the Rudolph Vet Clinic property. A conditional purchase offer for the property is contingent on the new owners’ ability to add a pickleball facility. This would require a special exception from 16.4.4.B Chapter 4 Districts, Section 4 Rural Residential (RR), Special Exception Uses, of the City’s Unified Development Ordinance 2016-30, to allow a private recreational development in a RR zoning district. 

The structure will be limited to one court due to the available width of the property. It will remain private and no additional recreational structures will be built without further approval. Conversations about safety focused on ensuring that proper parking turnaround is available. The board specifically addressed concerns about a need for parking layouts to prevent backing directly onto State Road 56, noted to be a busy highway. 

The board requested aesthetic enhancements to the metal building’s exterior, such as adding brick or stone-like wainscoting, to better match surrounding brick structures. Sample artwork showed that the exterior finishing of the building will be similar to that of others in the area. Neighbors raised concerns over existing drainage problems, and assurances were made that solutions will be identified to mitigate additional runoff. 

The Board approved the special exception with conditions, emphasizing the private nature of the facility. They also reviewed regulatory standards and limitations, ultimately granting the special exception as presented. 

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 - By Drew Hasselbring