Planning Commission gets new chairperson

The former Planning Commission chairperson will not be applying for reappointment to the board.

Public Works Director Chuck Bartlett announced at the Planning Commission meeting May 14 that Bev Hempel submitted a letter of resignation, stating that she would not be reapplying for a position on the board.

“I have enjoyed my work on the Planning Commission. At this time I prefer not to be reappointed to another term,” Hempel wrote in her letter. “I appreciate you and the town staff and will continue to support you any way I can.”

Hempel said, after being on the Planning Commission since 2003, wants to concentrate on her piano tuning business.

“Volunteer work on a town board or commission takes a lot of time, and scheduling is often tough for someone like me who travels a lot for my work,” she said.

Town officials are still trying to fill the vacant seat on the commission.

Commission member Rory Grubb was selected to be the new chairperson of the board. Greg Cooksey was selected as vice chair of the board. Grubb used his new position to facilitate discussion about revising existing zoning ordinances amongst other commission members.

“It’s very hard to make progress on these ordinance changes, but I think we need to come to some kind of consenus before we ever start writing anything otherwise we are going to spin our wheels forever,” Grubb said in the meeting.

Audience members and board members seemed pleased with the progress the Planning Commission made in the discussion that has been an agenda item since December.

“For five months we have been arguing over a little petty thing,” Councilman Steve Wilcoxson said in the meeting. “Let’s make a decision.”

Wilcoxson was referring to the to home occupation and special use permits.

Wilcoxson made a motion to explore the possibility looking at each case individually when there was a complaint from Saratoga residents.

During discussion, Commission member Bob Thrasher brought up the point the original situation that brought up the special use permit discussions was never solved. The situation was a resident was allegedly selling firewood from a residential zone.

From there, the discussion split up in several different topics relating to the special use permit ordinance.

 

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