Washington Plan Commission looks at loopholes

Local News

Discussion

July 9, 2008

By Nate Smith, Staff Writer The Washington Times-Herald Wed Jul 09, 2008, 10:17 PM EDT

The Washington Plan Commission recommended a change to close one loophole to the zoning code Wednesday but found another.

To close the first loophole, the commission recommended that the city council change the code so businesses cannot use residential property for a driveway to commercial property. The commission found the loophole last month when Cage, Inc., a warehouse, asked for a variance, but there was nothing in the code forbidding using residential property as a driveway.

Plan commission members voted 8-0 to ask the council to put the restriction in the city’s zoning code. Commission members Roger Gillingham and Tom Graham were absent.

Commission member Bill Summers, also a member of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals that heard the variance case, said the restriction was needed to avoid future problems.

“We really had a problem with (the situation) because there’s nothing that says you can or can’t do it,” Summers said. “They were asking for a variance for something that was not on the books, and that makes it difficult.”

Cage, Inc., owner Larry Carpenter said the proposed ordinance should also read that commercial property cannot be used to access residential property. He said there are several examples in the city.

“I think if you put it in the code, both of them have to be addressed,” Carpenter said.

If the council decides to put the revision in the zoning code, starting at its Monday meeting, the variance involving Cage would still be valid. For several months before the variance, neighbors around the warehouse protested the driveway.

The second loophole concerned the purpose of a preservation district. Thaddeus Rusk asked the commission to zone part of his property on 906 SR 57S commercial rather than a preservation district.

Rusk plans to sell the property due to its prime location south of the city and said Southview Trailer Court and other properties in the area are zoned commercial. But, there is nothing in the city zoning code about preservation districts.

City attorney Jeff Norris said he would research state zoning law on preservation districts. Rusk’s property has been home to an auto repair shop but does have the property abutting the preservation district, near the Washington Conservation Club.

Neighbors Jackie O’Bryan and others living near the property asked the commission not to change the zoning there to commercial.

“To me, its very peaceful,” O’Bryan said. “I don’t care what they do to the front part of (the property) but I do care if they come back near my property.”

There was not a motion to change the zoning classification, and thus no action was made. Rusk can now petition the council to make the zoning change.

In other business

COMMERCIAL CHANGE

The commission did recommend changing property at 400 Center St. and 307 N.E. Fifth St. from zoning class C-4, a roadside business, to C-2, a general business.

The owner, Tom Stephens, asked for the change in class in order to build a package liquor store on the property. With the change in classification, the building can be built without violating any setback, or space, limits with neighbors.

Text Only

Local News

Hill arrested on $100K bond
Andrew Logan Hill, 32, Washington, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies on a warrant for petition to revoke a suspended sentence. He remains in the Daviess County Security Center on a $100,000 bond.

May 26, 2012
Cemetery owners plead for time, help
For nearly a century and a half, Daviess County folks have been laid to rest in Oak Grove Cemetery at the west edge of Washington, but in recent years maintenance of the 23-acre property has declined and people are no longer wanting to bury family members there.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Washington High School to graduate 167 Saturday
Washington High School will hold its 135th Commencement Exercises at 2 p.m. today in the high school gymnasium.

May 26, 2012
WC to graduate
Washington Catholic High School Commencement Exercises will be held at 8 p.m. today at the Bird Cage.

May 25, 2012
PC to graduate
PETERSBURG — Pike Central High School will hold its 37th Commencement Exercises at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the high school gymnasium.

May 25, 2012
ND commencement is Friday evening
North Daviess High School will hold it commencement exercises at 7 p.m. Friday.
Following the processional led by North Daviess faculty and juniors Janice Knepp and Cari Jo Wilson, the voluntary invocation will be led by Chelsea Graber. Stacey Beard, class president, will then make welcoming and introductory remarks.

May 24, 2012
Fire destroys home in minutes
A Tuesday afternoon fire in rural Daviess County has left a family homeless, although unharmed.

May 23, 2012 1 Photo
Barr-Reeve holds 47th commencement Saturday
Barr-Reeve High School will hold its 47th Commencement Exercises on Saturday afternoon in the high school gymnasium beginning at 2 p.m. Again this year, the graduation will be an afternoon affair.

May 23, 2012
Loogootee to hold graduation Friday
Loogootee Junior/Senior High School Class of 2012 will hold its graduation exercises at 7 p.m. Friday.

May 22, 2012
ND finds ways to use cell phones
A lengthy discussion between North Daviess school board and administrative members concerning future student cell phone usage dominated the board’s Monday meeting.
Board members were considering a second reading for the school’s junior and senior high school handbooks when the discussion began.

May 22, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Washington Plan Commission looks at loopholes

Should students who fail IREAD-3 (twice) advance to 4th grade?

Site Map

Contact Us