One Planning Commission member expressed disappointment in the board’s inability to act on zoning issues the town of Saratoga faces at the May 21 town council meeting.
Although other Planning Commission members seem pleased with the interaction that took place at the meeting in May, Councilman Steve Wilcoxson thought the board should have made more progress dealing with problems affecting the town’s home occupation ordinance.
“I am a little disappointed that we didn’t get a little more work done at the last Planning Commission meeting,” Wilcoxson said. “I think we should have been further along.”
The issues affecting Saratoga’s home occupation environment is how ordinances define what a home occupation is. According to the town attorney Tom Thompson, the ordinance requires anyone who runs money-generating businesses within their homes, is to get a special use permit.
Planning Commission members have been at odds about changing the ordinance to allow certain home occupations without requiring a permit since December. Wilcoxson thinks it is time for the commission to move forward.
“We have been kicking this can down the road for six months, and I am going to be honest with you, I’m tired of it,” Wilcoxson said in the meeting.
Wilcoxson said he was upset at the movement in the May meeting because other commission members did not bring written suggestions leading to an ordinance fix. Wilcoxson said in a later interview he expected Planning Commission members to bring written suggestions to the May meeting because it was an item of discussion in the April meeting.
Planning Commission member Greg Cooksey, who was present at the Saratoga Town Council meeting, said the commission was supposed to have a special meeting between April and May, but “for a bunch of reasons that did not happen”.
Overall, Cooksey said he was pleased with the movement in the May meeting when Rory Grubb was selected to be the new chairman.
“We were pushed back a little, but overall felt the Planning Commission made a lot of progress in the May meeting,” Cooksey said. “We are progressing and we are hoping to have (a solution) soon because we have to have something here quick.”
Wilcoxson told councilmembers if the Planning Commission does not move forward and find solutions to the ordinances, they could face legal action.
“If we don’t enforce the laws that are on our books, then we as councilmen become individual and responsible. We could be sued individually,” Wilcoxson said. He said he came to that conclusion after talking with Thompson.
Wilcoxson urged Planning Commission members to bring their written suggestions to the next meeting, or he would appeal to the council.
“Bring your suggestions to the next Planning Commission meeting, Wilcoxson said. “Don’t come there without them.”
In other business:
• Mayor John Zeiger removed Bob Thrasher from the one-and-a-half year position on the Planning Commission and reappointed him to a five-year position.
• Zeiger appointed Chris Shannon to a one-and-a-half year position on the Planning Commission.
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