The Houston City of Planning Commission met at city hall on December 5, 2016. The meeting was called to order by Krin Abraham at 5:40 p.m. The meeting began with public hearing to address the opt-out ordinance for a healthcare housing law. The ordinance dealt with temporary family healthcare dwellings, which would count as a second dwelling unit on any parcel of land. The commission ruled that the current lot size of Houston would make it difficult to carry out the ordinance effectively. Additionally, the administrative costs of policing and maintaining also moved the commission to opt out of the ordinance. Of the three members in attendance, Schultz, Olson and Abraham all voted to opt-out and the public hearing section of the meeting closed at 5:44 p.m.
The commission then moved on to old business. First, the commission looked at a property on 206 Lincoln, which had passed a deadline to make repairs in October of 2015. The issue with the property stemmed from building additions and repairs that were not made up to code. The debate before the commission was whether to demolish the property or repair it, which may result in a full rebuilding from a basic structure. There was worry that the property might become a “can of worms” of repairs on top of each other, making it too expensive and time-consuming for the city to undertake. Abraham suggested looking into possible outside funding or programs for repairs of the building, and Schultz agreed that all steps need to be taken before demolition. Abraham suggested that the basic structure of the house might still be solid, and the commission decided to try a few more steps to attempt rehab or repair before moving ahead with demolition. The commission also briefly addressed a deck on 114 Spruce St., and City Administrator Peterson suggested moving forward with quotes to get something started with repairs.
Next, the commission addressed a carport issue at 109 E. Elm St. The form listed a “lean-to added to house” for the parking of a car, and the commission discussed the size and viability of the structure, along with setback limitations for the property. City Administrator Peterson mentioned that the construction may require a variance for the setback requirements. Additionally, Peterson mentioned an “expansion of non-conforming use” allowance that may or may not be usable if the deck was considered part of the original structure. The expansion allows for a property owner to expand their building up to 20%, as long as current setback issues are not made worse. Schultz raised some questions about the property being a modular home, which could cause issues if the deck was considered part of the structure. Peterson countered that confirmation was still needed to see if the deck was put in properly in observance of setbacks, or if the deck was granted a variance when it was constructed. After an extensive debate, the commission decided to move ahead with a variance proposal for the property.
Finally, the commission addressed the OHV (off-highway vehicle) parking and trail Easement. Peterson submitted a memo stating that she had received a completed appraisal of the proposed easements on the Shultz property, with an appraised value of $26,700. Under Minnesota statute the Planning Commission must review all proposed acquisitions of real property before making a recommendation to the city council. Abraham stated that this easement is in accordance with the comprehensive plan and “meets the criteria for continued growth” and the creation of trails. The commission reached consensus that the easement conforms to the comprehensive plan, and the meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
The Houston, Minnesota Planning Commission and EDA meets on the first Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Houston City Hall.