Aldermen consider changes to zoning

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The City of Clarendon will begin the process of changing zoning requirements in residential areas after a local businessman addressed the Board of Aldermen last Tuesday, April 23.

Gary Hunt asked the board for permission to build and operate storage units on land he owns along Seventh Street between Leroy and Cottage streets. He said Code Compliance Officer Jason Conatser told him the structures he wants to build in that location are allowable under city rules but that operating a business is not.

Hunt owns other storage units on the north side of US 287 and on SH 70 north of the city, but he said he has several elderly clients who don’t want to cross the highway.

Alderman Abby Patten asked if Hunt had contacted the neighbors for their opinion. He said that he had not but he was sure there would be objections, noting that he had asked for permission before and been denied.

Hunt said finding suitable commercial property is difficult and said his planned construction would generate economic activity on land that is unsuitable for residential construction due to a lack of sewer service.

Alderman Will Thompson urged the board to contact the city attorney to be sure proper procedure is being followed. The board unanimously voted to begin the process of making the change, which will require a public hearing.

In other board business, Engineer Clayton Scales presented findings of a study his firm conducted on the city’s water system. He said the city needs more elevated storage and that the new west side standpipe built in 2010 is inadequate for the city’s requirements and doesn’t provide for growth. He recommended adding a new standpipe on the east side of town and increasing the capacity of distribution lines.

Scales also said the city needs to work to replace old cast iron lines and to find a way to boost pump capacity at Greenbelt’s filter plant.

Phase One of the improvements – the new standpipe and enhanced distribution lines – would cost an estimated $1.75 million, and the engineering firm has submitted an application to the state water development board on behalf of the city.

Alderman Debbie Roberts raised concerns about workers not getting paid overtime for emergency calls at nights and on weekends if they haven’t put in 40 hours during the week. She said under city rules, if an employee is off for a doctor’s visit or vacation day and then gets called in at 9 p.m. on Friday, that employee does not get overtime, which she said was not fair. The board approved a motion to research how other cities handle this situation.