Looking to the future

The Saratoga Planning Commission met July 10 and, as you would expect, had their focus squarely on the long-term.

Planning chairman Jon Nelson was joined at the meeting by planning commission members Tom Westring and Chris Duke. Fellow committeeman Jim Beckman was present via speakerphone.

After the general business of approving the agenda and previous minutes Planning Commission Chair Jon Nelson paraphrased a letter from Nora Asbury that said she regretted to inform the commission that, due to work issues, she would have to leave the commission.

The commission then proceeded with new business.

First on the agenda was a subdivision concept from Randy Stevens. Stevens brought a map showing the subdivision to be considered and the commission and he pored over maps with Stevens detailing the plans for subdividing the parcel on the northwest side of town between 11th and 13th streets.

After the discussion it was discovered that the proposal on the edge of town did not take roads, right of ways and utilities to the far edge of the property line. Because of that the plan did not fit within title 17 of the town ordinance guidelines for new submissions.

Councilman Richard Raymer confirmed that subdivisions must have infrastructure running all the way through the property. This requirement, explained Nelson, was so when and if future development was added later on the next party would not have to create new infrastructure to their property.

Old business began with the second item on the agenda. The Flood ordinance was the topic of this item and it was noted that it was a requirement to have the town’s flood plan be in compliance in order to qualify for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). According to Saratoga Town Zoning Officer Dan Ferrin, if the town does not participate in the NFIP it will not qualify for federal aid in case of a flood disaster. After a short discussion on the differences between the current ordinance and the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA) guidelines, it was decided all of the planning commission members should take both documents and make recommendations on changes to the town flood ordinance. These proposals are to be stated at an upcoming workshop with a date not yet set.

The third item on the agenda was discussion of the buffer zone. This topic was debated at length with Sid Fox, Director of the Carbon County Planning commission, on hand to give the county’s perspective.

Fox said the state had basically called off the buffer zone program and various other solutions, including annexing areas of likely growth for the town, were discussed.

Local resident Leo Yocum expressed his dissatisfaction with the buffer zone program saying that in 2000 he was building on his land in the buffer zone and had all the proper county permits. Once construction had started, town officials came and stopped the building because of their strictures. Yocum went on to say that he had won this battle in court and pointed out a major problem with the buffer zone system in that those in the buffer zone did not have a vote or necessarily a voice in town politics. Yokum explained his position saying, “I have a problem with people telling me what to do when I have no say in it.”

Nelson thanked Yokum for his input, acknowledged that problem and said between that lack of representation, working out a memorandum of understanding and cooperative planning with the county a workshop should be held to discuss solutions.

Beckman suggested that people in the outlying areas of town should come to the workshop when a date was set to represent their takes on the situation.

Nelson suggested the workshop for the flood plan and the buffer zone questions could be held on the same day and said he would draft a letter to the council to see what dates would be feasible.

The last item on the agenda was Triple D Construction’s request for a variance on creating storage at their Saratoga Overlook properties. Ferrin said no applications had been submitted yet and the meeting was adjourned.