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ZONING ORDINANCES TO BE CONSIDERED AT COUNCIL MEETING
By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Saturday, November 14, 2009 12:01 AM CST
Several proposed zoning ordinances will be considered by Pine Bluff’s City Council Monday night.
The meeting will take place in council chambers at the civic center at 5:30 p.m.
One piece of legislation aims to amend the city zoning code to define and restrict mobile, modular and manufactured structures.
The measure did not gain support from all aldermen at Thursday’s development and planning committee because of its limits on mobile and modular offices — and could lead to a split vote.
“I don’t think we should impede business,” said 1st Ward Alderman Thelma Walker. “I don’t think we should discourage business from coming here.”
Jerre George, director of the Southeast Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, said the proposed ordinance would not impact businesses that currently operate out of a mobile or modular office — those would be grandfathered in.
She added that businesses selling mobile homes would be able to operate out of a mobile home.
“I just think you would want to upgrade your business stock,” she said.
“We need all the businesses we can get,” Walker said.
George said the council would have to update city codes to include a definition for manufactured housing.
A second proposed zoning ordinance on the council’s Monday night agenda also was discussed at the planning and development committee meeting and found a possible compromise between the city council and the planning commission.
Increase fines
George said the proposed measure would increase fines on non-conforming salvage yards, but as written also could stop businesses and residents from asking for variances in order to come into compliance.
“What you’ve done is place the same requirements on everything,” George said. “What this does is makes it to where if you’re out of compliance you can never come into compliance.”
She suggested adding “automobile salvage yard “ to instances where before the legislation had only read “applicant.”
Fourth Ward Alderman Janice Roberts said she approved of the idea.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” she said.
George said the Pine Bluff Planning Commission would be amiable to passing the proposed ordinance back to the council for passage — an action that must take place for the legislation to be legal — with the addition.
A public hearing on the automobile salvage yard proposed ordinance will be held later in November.
In other business, the council will:
Hear the third reading of a proposed ordinance replacing language in the city code that accidentally was deleted.
Hear the second reading of a proposed ordinance to adopt the National Electrical Code of the National Fire Protection Association 2008 Edition.
Hear the first reading of a proposed ordinance to collect a state-mandated charge of 50 cents per $1,000 of non-residential construction up to $1,000.
Hear the first reading of a proposed ordinance to amend language in the city’s Waste Management contract dealing with “self hauling” to limit third party or contract hauler operations.
Hear the first reading of a proposed ordinance to issue a short-term loan with Simmons First National Bank worth more than $55,000 to purchase four police vehicles.
Hear the first reading of a proposed ordinance stopping any persons not in compliance with city ordinances from doing business with the city.
Authorize city officials to contract with Sprint for telecommunication services.
Declare certain structures a nuisance and order their abatement.
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