Changes to be recommended on building sizes, more

The Electric City Planning Commission will submit a number of changes to the city council as a result of its public hearing held at the fire hall last Thursday night.

Major among the changes is the doubling of the size allowable for accessory buildings, a hot topic for nearly two years at both the planning commission and city council meetings.

About 30 local residents turned out to hear planner Kurt Danison, of Highlands Associates of Okanogan, walk through the changes that the planning commission will propose to the city council.

The planning commission took testimony and chair Monty Fields explained that commission members were not there to answer questions but to take testimony.

The planning commission will meet Feb. 3, to review tapes of the meeting and make any additional changes it wants before moving recommendations on to the city council. The council will get the recommended changes sometime within the next few weeks, a city official stated.

The main change is in the size of accessory buildings, going from a maximum size of 850 square feet to 1,728 square feet for any single building. The commission plans some changes to home occupation conditional use permits and to fencing.

When the council receives the planning commission’s full report, officials stated, then it will hold its own public hearing and residents will have another opportunity to review changes and make comments.

The main issues being discussed on accessory buildings are:

• A single accessory building can be up to 1,728 square feet in size.

• The exterior wall can be no higher than 16 feet.

• The overall height cannot exceed 26 feet.

• The exterior finish must be similar but not necessarily the same as the primary residence.

For home occupation business permits, they will now need a business license, must be incidental and subordinate to the living quarters, not have any windows that show a business operation and show no visible signs of it outside.

On fencing, no solid fencing on corner lots that hinder sight vision by motorists and fences and walls shall not exceed six feet and privacy screens or fences shall not exceed eight feet.

The council will review changes, may make its own, and have its own public hearing before any changes become official.

A full report on changes is on the Electric City website at http://www.electriccity.us.