Planning commission reviews land situations

By Sun Advocate

Two different land issues highlighted the monthly meeting of the Carbon County Planning Commission last week with one request for a zone change being tabled until more can be learned about the situation and the second one approved.
In the first action, Robert Miller, who owns a strip of property near Creekview Elementary that is partly within the city limits and partly in the county, asked that his part in the county be changed in zoning from residential 2.5 acres to an industrial one zone.
“I would like to zone this so I can put storage units and other metal buildings on the property,” stated Miller. “It think this is the kind of development I can do there since they won’t let me develop it as residential.”
Miller went on to explain that the city had informed him that they would be condemning 15 feet of his property to put in a drain pipe to the Price River because of some flooding on subdivision streets that dead end at his land.
“They want to put the drain on the north end of my property and I have wanted them to put it along the south,” Miller told the commission. “But their engineer said it wouldn’t drain without going too deep there. I have tried to get them to let me develop it into cul-de-sacs, but they say that could be a problem for access if the property south of me is ever developed. So I decided that this would be the best way to develop the property.
Richard Tatton, the chairman of the county planning commission and a city councilman for Price city saw things somewhat differently.
“The property hasn’t been condemned yet,” he said. “The city is still in negotiations with Miller. I suggest we table this until that is settled.”
However Miller pointed out that he had received a letter that very day saying that the city was going to condemn the land for the drain. County Commissioner Mike Milovich, the county commissions representative on the planning body wondered about access for such a venture and was concerned that the residential streets in the area would have to provide that.
Miller pointed out that there is a possibility a road could be put through from 600 West to the dead end by Creekview school, because a right-of-way exists there, and that that might be used for an access.
However, Tatton pointed out that the school district probably would not be too anxious to have that happen.
Commission member Lynna Topolovec also questioned whether that type of zoning would be appropriate in that area between a school and other agricultural areas along with homes on the other side. Miller said he just felt the whole thing wasn’t right because it seems he can do nothing with the property.
The issue was tabled until it can be determined exactly what the city is doing with his property that is within their jurisdiction.
In the other zoning matter before the planning commission, the members approved a zoning change for some property that John Houston’s company has purchased around their site.
“We need to improved the access from Highway 6 to our property and we can do that in conjunction with the highways new expansion,” he said in regards to the Utah Department of Transportation’s plans to revamp that part of the highway beginning late this winter.
However, Topolovec expressed concern that there were still quite a few residences left in the area that Houston had not purchased and she was concerned about the noise his industrial company might cause them.
“There is actually only one resident that borders our property now that we don’t own and she has agreed to sell to us when she gets ready to move,” Houston stated. “We have been trying to purchase all the property around there as it becomes available. While we have no definite plans to expand onto those properties, we will want to do so eventually.”
In another action the planning commission also decided to recommend to the county commission that the terms of Richard Tatton and Bob Welch of Helper be renewed.