Controversial recommendations to go to state

The council at Electric City voted last Tuesday night to submit changes to the city building code to the state for review, providing local residents and others a 60-day period to respond to the changes.

The council amended a report from the planning commission to state that the size of accessory buildings has to conform to the International Building Code, which allows up to 3,000 square feet.

But submitting the changes to state for review didn’t happen soon enough to satisfy three members of the planning commission who resigned after the council failed to act on their report at a meeting two weeks ago.

Resigning were chair Monty Fields, Carl Russell and Ray Clover. Another member of the planning commission, Merle Kennedy, said at the time that he was delaying a decision on whether to resign.

The planning commission had recommended that the size of accessory buildings be held at 1,728 square feet, and it had appeared that the council would go along with that. However, the council after lengthy comments from residents who wanted larger buildings allowed, passed a motion made by Councilmember Aaron Derr, to lift square footage restrictions altogether.

The proposed changes to the code can be reviewed on the city’s website or at city hall.

City officials stated that the 60-day comment period will start as soon as all the paperwork can be sent to the state. Details on how to comment will be announced then.

After the 60-day review, comments will come back to the city council and it will schedule a public hearing before any final decision is made.

The code changes also involve fencing and home business occupations, although they were a minor part of the planning commission report.

The discussion on the size of accessory buildings has been before the planning commission and council since April, 2013.