Posted: 7/24/07
County board discusses July 11 public hearing on CJC requests
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
On July 17, the Houston County Board spent about 15 minutes discussing the July 11 Caledonia City Council public hearing called to review zoning variance and street vacation requests for the proposed criminal justice center (CJC). After listening to public testimony for more than two hours, the city council requested a 60-day extension on rendering a decision until a traffic study could be made and reviewed after public and parochial schools are back in session this fall.
"Most of the comments were in opposition of the CJC," Commissioner Ann Thompson told the board. "But I have to commend Mayor Mike Morey for running a good public hearing. He kept control of the hearing, and most of the testimony had to do with traffic and parking issues."
"Why do they have to have a traffic study before they make a decision?" Commissioner Larry Graf asked.
County Jail Administrator Mark Schiltz explained because the county is planning to close sections of two streets in the downtown area, the city feels it is important to know just how many cars are using those streets. The city had requested a traffic study in early May before school recessed for the summer. But no study was conducted.
"Whoís going to pay for the study?" Commissioner Dave Corcoran asked.
Commissioner Tom Bjerke thought the county should pay for it, as long as the county is making the request to vacate the streets.
Corcoran then said he wondered if the city had handled the 60-day extension request properly. "Donít we get written approval from the party making a variance or conditional use permit request when asking for a 60-day extension?" Corcoran asked.
"Weíll have to ask Rick (County Attorney Rick Jackson) about this, and we need to discuss our various options with Mark Beyer at our next meeting and then go from there," Thompson recommended.
After reviewing the statutes, Jackson told The Argus Thursday morning the state law allows an agency to request a 60-day extension before ruling on zoning requests. "The only stipulation is the request for the extension must be made within 60 days of the original zoning request. In this case, it was," Jackson noted.
The city council must either approve or deny the variance and street vacation requests before the Oct. 4 deadline. The continuation of the public hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the city auditorium.
Current CJC plans require variances for four zoning ordinances and the vacation of portions of two city streets.
Four variance requests
ïA 20 foot setback on the south (front) property line. City ordinance calls for a 30 foot setback, while the CJC plans would locate the building 10 feet from the property line.
ïRequired parking stall dimension are 10 feet wide by 25 feet long. The proposed parking stall dimensions are 9 feet wide by 18 feet long, requiring variances of one foot on width and seven feet on length.
ïVariance on number of parking stalls required from 590 spaces to 179, as specified by the plans.
ïA variance on exceeding the 35 foot building height limitation by 10 feet to a height of 45 feet.
Street vacation requests
ïA half-block portion of Washing Street from the west right of way line of Pine Street westward to the Courthouse Square.
ïA half-block portion of Marshall Street from the north right of way line of South Street northward to the Courthouse Square.
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