The Commerce City Council has decided it wants to think about the East Jackson Overlay another month before taking action.
The council struck that item from its agenda for Monday night’s 6:30 meeting at the Commerce Civic Center following a discussion at its work session this past Monday night.
The overlay is a joint project of the Jackson County and Commerce planning departments designed to guide — and regulate — future development along all of the entryways into Commerce through the enforcement of design standards including building materials, landscaping, lighting, parking and ingress and egress. The Jackson County Board of Commissioners approved the overlay in March; what the city council will do is unclear.
Mayor pro tem Keith Burchett reported that he “got calls from several people” asking questions about the proposal. He questioned why the district took in whole farms.
City planning director David Zellner said the plan covers 500 feet from the roadway “plus any adjoining land.”
“Five hundred feet is what is typical for commercial development,” explained Toni Smith, Jackson County’s senior planner. “We made it our baseline. We wanted to make sure there was continuity there… The advantage is you don’t have devaluation of property from changing to one type of use to another.”
Smith told the group — which included local property owners Bill Sims and Sam Thurmond, both of whom own farms that would be in the district — that the overlay “100-percent exempts agricultural land.” She also said no changes will be required in commercial and industrial property if it is sold — and the use remains the same.
Smith also told the council that the district is “not set in concrete” and that the council can change the requirements.
“You guys make can make this ordinance what you want it to be, if you want it,” she said.
Smith insisted that the overlay will have little effect on the cost of future development, since both jurisdictions already require street lights and Jackson County already requires sidewalks.
The council also agreed to remove from Monday’s agenda the acceptance of the road in Chandler’s Walk Subdivision until further research is done to make sure the street meets city standards.
Agenda Items
The following items remain on the council agenda for Monday:
•recognition of retired recreation director Lonnie Dickerson
•recognition of three sixth grade winners of the “If I Were Mayor” essay contest — one of whom was a district winner
•an amendment to the occupation tax ordinance. A business with one to six employees now pays an annual rate of $80. If the ordinance is approved, that cost would go to $125 — a rate that accounting manager James Wascher pointed out is still below the rates charged in Jefferson. That total includes the license cost and the administrative fee.
•the award of a contract to Griffin Brothers, Maysville, for replacing a sewer line on Chanticleer Road
•a request by Eddie Savage to rezone a quarter acre on Water Lane off Ila Road from R-5 to C-2 for a used car operation
•requests from the Downtown Development Authority to close Little Street between Oak and Pine Streets the evenings of July 27 (for a “beach” party) and Sept. 21 (for a movie in Spencer Park
•approval of a license for Charles A. Findley to sell beer, wine and mixed alcoholic drinks by the drink at 1662 South Broad Street, where he will operate a Mexican restaurant
•approval of a license sought by Showkat Hossain to sell beer and wine by the package at 2595 North Broad Street (formerly Presto’s)
