Spirit Lake City Council Schedules Public Hearings On Proposed Zoning Text Changes
Spirit Lake City Council Schedules Public Hearings On Proposed Zoning Text Changes
March 23, 2022Steve Schwaller
(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake City Council Tuesday set the date for the public to give comment and input on some proposed revisions to zoning text. City Attorney-Administrator Gregg Owens says one of those pertains to the installation of solar panels…
“When we originally established an ordinance to regulate those, we erred on the side of caution and made anytime that someone wanted a solar system whether commercial, on the ground, on a house, go through the special exception use process. Our experience has been we’re having way too many meetings for our volunteers on Board of Adjustment and Planning and Zoning to consider routine solar arrays on people’s roofs, for example. And so this will allow the zoning administrator to consider that as part of approving a building permit, like any other things that go along with residential construction.”
Owens says the other proposed revision pertains to the city’s downtown area…
“Mostly to preserve, protect and enhance retail and service opportunities and getting rid of some things in the downtown area that are, just proven to be anachronistic. One example: we allow by special exception use downtown condominium storage units. Well, that’s nothing that belongs down there so why do we even have the possibility you could ask for that. You know, they’re very popular, they’re Highway Commercial, they’re in the county. Plenty of places to build them. Just the possibility someone would park one in our two square block or three square block downtown doesn’t make any sense. So those changes are designed to enhance the retail and service business opportunities. And even though there are things that people would unlikely ask for, they seem to be things that are totally unnecessary as history has proven.”
The public hearings on the proposed changes will be held at the Spirit Lake City Council’s April 12th meeting.
