Furniture Shop OK’d, Owner Fined for Building Without Permit

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors approved the site plan Monday for a furniture manufacturer who was previously fined for building without a building permit.

County Building Official/Zoning Administrator Joel Hollowell presented the site plan before the supervisors on behalf of Ben McPhail, owner of Ben’s Cabinets and Furniture at 977 Highway West.

In November, McPhail admitted to county building officials that he began work on his furniture shop without first getting a building permit.

Hollowell said since McPhail did not have a permit, he could not get an address which meant he could not apply for electricity at the shop.

“That’s when he came to us,” Hollowell said.

McPhail went before the Lafayette County Planning Commission in November to ask for approval of the site plan after-the-fact. The commission denied the site plan, partly on the grounds that the partially constructed structure encroached on the mandatory landscape buffer needed for commercial and industrial businesses.

He returned to the commission in December with letters of support from his neighbors and the commission approved the site plan; however, fined McPhail $1,150 for building without a permit.

On Monday, the supervisors approved the site plan and the variance for encroaching on the buffer.

Hollowell said McPhail will now have to apply for a building permit and make sure the structure is built to county building codes before construction can resume on the furniture shop.