01/27/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Manager explained the proposed amendment recommended by the Council.subcom- mittee appointed to study asses'sments. The amendment would tend 1;9 reduce the effect of, the configuration of property as related to the alley and. amount of . assessment; would make more equitable the 'proportionate cost assessed as re- .., lated to zoning, increasing in relation to more intensive use; and would allow deferral bf part of assessment to the existing owner occupying a dwelling located in a zone higher than R-l. He read the memo of recommendation submitted by the subcommittee. Public hearing was held with no testimony presented. Council Bill No. 723 - Adding to City Code Sections 7.270 and 7.275 re: .. Alley assessments was read by council bill number and title only, there being no council member present requesting that it be read in full. . Mr. Murray moved seconded by Mr. Keller that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the Council, and that enactment be considered at this time. Councilman Williams wondered about the logic behind the weighting factors used in determining the assessments against various zones. Councilwoman Beal replied that the subcommittee felt assessments should be judged according to benefit to properties abutting the improvement. Too many times, she said, single-family residences having no benefit from an alley improvement had to bear the same cost as an apartment house across the alley using it to meet its parking requirements. Mr. Williams shared Mrs. Beal's concerns but said he didn't understand the reason- ing behind assessing, say, a corner grocery store five times the amount assessed against an apartment building. He asked why the cost wasn't assessed against those petitioning an improvement if benefit was the concern. Mrs. Beal thought the costs were weighted as they were because of the type of traffic a grocery store would generate - delivery trucks, etc. Don Alle~public works director, said'it was his understanding the weighting factors were predicated on the intensity of land use - that is, starting from the highest and best use of R-l with a factor of one, progressing through commercial and industrial uses which far exceeded the use of residential zones. The subcommittee accepted that reason- ing and unanimously recommended. that basis. Councilman Murray commented that most schedules could be debated or argued trying to equate the specifics. He thought it was logical to assume that commercial uses involving to-and-from traffic plus expanded hours would have a grater benefit from the improvement. He said he had long supported the intent of the amendment and would continue to favor it. Manager added that because of the wide variation of uses in the different zoning categories it would seem logical to generalize in trying to "arrive at a happy medium." . Vote was taken on the motion for second reading. Lacking unanimous consent - Council members Murray, Keller, Beal, Bradley, Haws, and Shirey voting aye; Council members Williams and Hamel voting no - the bill was held over for second reading. D. Appeal - Denial of Used Merchandise Dealer's License - George's Garage, .341 VanBuren. Manager explained the appeal was submitted by George Stathkis because of denial of his business license. Most Council members previously viewed the site on tour. Public hearing was held with no testimony presented. 1/27/75 - 10 2.fo (1216) (1280) It (1334 ) (1360) e