At the Oct. 11 meeting, Planning commissioners approved a vacation request by Barbara Dicks for property adjacent to her land at the junction of Grand Avenue and Dairy Hollow Road. She will now have to take her request to city council.
Chair Pat Lujan stated Dicks’s request had already been approved by the Parks Commission, and she had complied with all the guidelines for a vacation. The property in question is 30-ft. wide in the front and 60-ft. wide toward the back. There was a brief discussion of legalities related to vacations in general, and this application in particular, before commissioner Melissa Greene moved to send the request on to council. Commissioners agreed.
Defining family
Commissioner Susan Harman remarked she had discovered antiquated language in City Code regarding the definition of a family as it relates to zoning definitions. Code presently defines family as “One (1) or more persons occupying a single dwelling unit, and living as a single, non-profit housekeeping unit, provided that unless all members are related by blood, adoption, or marriage, no such family shall contain over four (4) persons…” It goes on to exclude servants as counting as family.
Harman’s question was, “What should we consider a family?” Greene’s question was, “Why do we even have this in here?” The group agreed to review the zoning definitions and identify ones needing an update.
“There are lots of them needing updating,” Lujan noticed with a hint of foreboding.
Enforce the law
Commissioner Ann Tandy-Sallee recommended that Planning officially ask council to get with the Police Department and remind them of the penalties written into the noise ordinance. She maintained there are too many complaints from citizens without follow-up citations.
“It [a problem with lack of enforcement] comes to us when no one says anything about a situation,” Lujan added. “We can help our citizens… our public is tired of no enforcement.”
Commissioners agreed to formalize a recommendation for council.
Public hearing
Lujan announced there would be a Public Hearing regarding a Conditional Use Permit for a 5-unit Bed & Breakfast at 28 Ridgeway. He emphasized this is not a new CUP, but a transfer of ownership.
Next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m.