(Spencer)– The Spencer City Council Monday set a date for a public hearing on a recommendation from the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission that would allow some residential housing in the Central Business District and C2 Highway Commercial Districts.
Zoning Administrator Adam Severson says if the change IS adopted, it would allow single family residential units in the lower levels of buildings in the downtown area. But he says they would only be granted under certain circumstances by the city’s Board of Adjustment…
“A special exception in other towns is called a conditional use permit. Here we call it a special exception. So it’s a case by case review by the zoning Board of Adjustment, a quasi-judicial board that is part of the Zoning Commission. A presented staff report with findings and an application for that would be brought to that board, then they’d have a chance to review that. It’s not a use by right, it’s a special exception use.”
Severson says the current regulations are also making it difficult for those repairing or remodeling already existing homes within the Central Business District and Highway Commercial Districts…
“Those zones go into already non-conforming neighborhoods, if you will. There’s established houses in CBD, there’s probably 15 to 20 established houses in C2 that were prior to the 1990 zoning. The main goal is what we’re running into either with flood or fire damage, people, they can do for like repairs on those properties, but once they add a room or do an addition or if it’s 50 percent damaged or more they don’t have availability to receive a permit.”
The Spencer City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed change at their June 2nd meeting.
