The Planning Commission voted to send a cease and desist order to Royce Kelley demanding he stop what the commission is now calling a “commercial operation” on his property.
Saratoga resident Andy Van Tol showed two short videos to the Planning Commission displaying multiple people working a sawmill and other lumber equipment on Kelley’s property, which is near Van Tol’s home.
“It’s pretty easy to hear from my yard,” Van Tol said.
Van Tol said he first approached the Planning Commission in February 2012. Van Tol also said the work has become more frequent since then.
“It looks like what used to be a seasonal operation has now gone fulltime,” Van Tol said.
Van Tol told commission members he had also seen logs coming and going from the property.
Van Tol requested “immediate relief” from the situation.
Public Works Director Chuck Bartlett told board members in the meeting he can have the sawmill there, if he is using it to work on the house already in his property. “But it if he is not, as we have seen, then it is a violation.”
If Kelley is shipping the logs, or using the logs for another purpose, the sawing is in violation of the town’s zoning ordinance relating to home occupation.
“This seems to be the generating factor that has caused a lot of problems within the Planning Commission,” said commission member Bob Thrasher.
Thrasher pointed out the problem has continued since December 2012.
“If there is something wrong, we need to get rid of it, because this has generated (problems) since December,” Thrasher said.
Commission member Chris Shannon said he didn’t see anything residential about the activity.
“I don’t see anything residential about this activity, unless he really is working on his house,” Shannon said.
Thrasher said he thought the activity has escalated beyond what it started as in December.
“It’s not about firewood anymore,” Thrasher said. “It’s a full commercial operation.”
Thrasher made a motion to give Kelley a warning, but Commission member Greg Cooksey said the commission needed to do more.
“I think it needs to be stronger than that. I think we need a cease and desist which stops all logging operations of any kind (on the property) until we can prove it is just for the house,” Cooksey said.
The Planning Commission voted to have Bartlett write a letter to Kelley.
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