By Chris Yow
Editor
CLAY — The Clay City Council approved a recommendation from the city’s Planning and Zoning Board Monday night to add a conditional zone of the city’s zoning ordinance.
The conditional zone would be a district based on the request of a property owner. Essentially creating a zone the city would allow any type of zoning based on the intended property use, as long as the use is compatible with the surrounding area and fits within the city’s comprehensive plan.
“We’ve some uses come along that are not covered in our zoning,” Steve Ostaseski said. “That’s where the landowner is going to come to us, propose his or her use and tell us how they’re going to accommodate that use on that piece of property. It follows the same process that all of our zoning code does.”
In addition, the city added an application process for minor home occupation for individuals running businesses from their homes.
Before, there was no application process for this zoning, other than a phone call to the city hall. Now, the city will require an application and may even require the city building inspector to visit the dwelling. Once the conditions are considered satisfactory, the city may issue a business license, provided all licensing requirements are met.
“We didn’t have a way of having them actually apply before,” City Manager Ronnie Dixon. “This is only getting us a form. We need to look at where we can put home occupation. Even a tupperware lady needs to be in a certain location if she’s going to have people coming to her house.”
The city’s light industrial zone parameters have also been amended, striking many of the uses out of the ordinance. Some examples of the businesses that have been taken out of the light industrial zone are bottling and plant warehouses, laundry and dry cleaning plants, vehicle and equipment repair or sales and mini warehouse mini storage.
“We had some uses in the ordinance that likely didn’t fit within our city. We struck some of them out and made this where it is a light industrial zone that can be used within the city without causing any problems,” Ostaseski said.
The board also eliminated the section regarding wireless communication services, as the technology is outdated and is not in abundant use in the city.
In other business, the city:
- Voted unanimously to declare more than 40 cell phones surplus and to sell them for $2,500.
- Voted to spend $12,500 annually on turf maintenance at the Clay-Chalkville High School baseball field, as well as $6,000 one time to rebuild the home plate and pitcher’s mound area, and voted to spend $6,000 to laser grade the infield. Councilman Ricky Baker abstained in the vote, stating he spoke out as a parent on the issue.
- Announced it has received the first payment from the property tax increase, and the amount totaled more than $269,000.
The council is set to meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m.