CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — Big changes could be in store for Camden County, as officials and residents review the proposed revisions to the county's Unified Land Use Code (ULUC).

In an interview, County P&Z Administrator Tanna Wirtz said one positive proposed revision to the ULUC is the elimination of setbacks to the Lake on residentially zoned properties: R-1, R-2 and R-3 zoned property lakefront setbacks would change from 25 ft. to zero. The only exception would be manufactured home parks, which would still have a setback.

“This will help people who have smaller lots,” Wirtz explained. “It will give them more area to build upon, because they will be able to build closer to the Lake on a lot they already have, with a state-approved centralized sewer system.” The document is large and is available online at camdenmo.org. However, the revisions are not marked, so it will take a lot of reading and comparing with the 2004 document (unless one has a photographic memory!)

Other noteworthy proposed changes to the ULUC include:

  • The definition of lodging facilities, hotel/motels and dwellings. 
  • A permit would be required for buildings 120 sq. ft and over. Currently, it is 400 sq. ft. 
  • Un-zoned areas will be treated as a rezone. 
  • Yard sales in residentially zoned areas would be limited to no more than three days in a 90-day period. 
  • The P&Z Administrator’s authority and job description more clearly defined
  • Rentals of single rooms within a residence would be allowable, as long as it is to no more than two people.
  • Satellite parking lots would be permissable “within a reasonable distance” of the entrance to the business, as opposed to the current 400 ft. 
  • The time frame to bring a property to code compliance after receiving a notice of an infraction from the county is proposed to be shortened from 90 to 30 days.

The public hearing on the proposed revisions to the ULUC will be held on Aug. 29, after the originally scheduled July 24 hearing was cancelled because not enough P&Z Commissioners showed up.

The Tuesday, July 24 planned hearing at the Camden County Courthouse was cancelled due to a lack of quorum; according to Wirtz, “Only a few attended.”

Wirtz requested confirmation from P&Z commissioners that they would attend the hearing at the Wednesday, July 20 P&Z commission meeting. Several commissioners did confirm they would attend, several could not, and one said they were unsure. The rescheduled public hearing to review the Camden County Unified Land Use Code revisions will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. in the third floor hearing room of the Camden County Courthouse.

County seeks public comment 

The purpose of the hearing was for county personnel to gather comments from the public through discussions of the initial draft of the proposed revisions to the ULUC. “This is just a draft,” Wirtz reiterated in an interview. “There will be many changes going forward.”

According to Wirtz, there were a lot of "clean-up and changes to the verbiage for clarification purposes inserted by former Camden County Planning and Zoning Administrator Kim Willey and county P&Z legal counsel." These include mostly changes to definitions and the administrative and enforcement aspects of the ULUC. The original document was approved in 2004 and said to be copied and pasted from a county that is much different than Camden County, and not practical or logical for the Lake of the Ozarks area.

P&Z hot topic conflicts continue to simmer under the surface 

Camden County P&Z commission meetings have settled down quite a bit, compared to meetings over the past several years. The P&Z commission meetings were oftentimes standing-room-only and filled to the brim with concerned citizens who wanted a voice in the laws governing their home and property. There were many occasions when they went away from the meetings frustrated, feeling like their comments had no effect on the decisions made by the county. Presiding Camden County Commissioner Greg Hasty said he wants to make sure that does not happen again and he is working to ensure the public has the opportunity to be involved in the revision process.  

The Big Issues: Vacation rentals, bars next to homes and imminent domain

A few of the topics that drew interest and concern from citizens in the recent past have included residential vacation rental taxation, definition, zoning and safety; satellite parking lots; commercial property nuisances in residential neighborhoods; stringent codes that restrict healthy business growth; the encroachment of county authority over private property; and the concern over county fines and fear of the subsequent authority to seize private property when homeowners are unable to pay fines. During these debates at the courthouse, many Camden County citizens made it clear that they believed less-is-more when it comes to government interference and control.

Violations of the Code

According to Section 700 of the draft ULUC: A violation of this Code, and/or RSMo. Sections 64.510 to 64.690, shall subject the violator(s) to an investigation by the Planning Office and may lead to civil penalties, criminal penalties, or both, depending on the severity and circumstances of the violation. See RSMo. Section 64.690.

ULUC Purpose 

The draft ULUC reads that the purpose of the Code is to promote and protect public health, safety, morals, and/or general welfare, through the regulation of the use of land and the location, use, size, height, and shape of buildings and structures erected thereon, having due regard to: 

ï  Encouraging the most appropriate use of land 

ï  Preventing the overcrowding of land 

ï  Conserving the value of land and structures 

ï  Lessening the congestion of traffic on the roads 

ï  Avoiding the congestion of population 

ï  Providing for adequate light and air 

ï  Securing safety from fire, flood, and other dangers 

ï  Facilitating adequate provision of infrastructure and public facilities 

ï  Giving reasonable consideration to the existing character and peculiar suitability for certain uses in particular districts 

ï  Giving effect to the policies and proposals of the Master Plan as approved by the Planning Commission.

Journey from draft to final document

Wirtz assured that the public hearings were an opportunity for citizens to have a voice in the proposed changes to the ULUC. “There will be numerous public hearings,” Wirtz said. An advisory committee will be appointed by the county commission, after the hearing to further add public influence in the formulation of the final document. This committee is in accordance with Section 304 (3) of the ULUC. This committee will become an ongoing committee, to ensure P&Z rules are practical and logical for the unique Lake area, and that they reflect the will of the people. When the P&Z commission finds the final draft is ready, the document will go before the County Commission, who will have the final say in the revisions.


1
0
0
0
0

(0 Ratings)