04-08-1991 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MARCH 25, 1991 u u''\- ‘ ■■ ' (|8)PLAMNING COMMISSION INTERVIEWS CONTINUED issue with the City's Comprehensive Plan. I think the Plan is appropriate and is strongly supoorted by the residents. I do have some reservations about certain portions of it. I question whether some areas of it are working as intended and whether there are some areas that need to be reviewed. I would be happy to state those more specifically at Council's request. I am now seeing where the City may begin to better utilize the various skills of people on the Planning Commission and Council. It is my opinion that in the past years the Planning Conunission' s main function is to serve as a variance committee, and has not had an opportunity to be involved with planning. I am encouraged at the aspect of looking at other issues and participating in joint meetings to determine the role of the Planning Commission." Mayor Peterson asked Hanson to state the areas of the Comprehensive Plan that he would like to see reviewed and discussed. Hanson replied, "I am referring only to review and discussion of these areas. One of the areas is the handling of private versus public roads, and the other is whether the Comp. Plan has provided the City with the guidance to grow in the manner we would like. I am not referring to population, but more to maturity. With respect to roads, during the period of 1980 and 1990, the number of miles of private roads increased by 80% to 12.37. A part of what I believe a city should provide its citizens in the way of services, is that it provide for the public safety. That comes in the form of police and fire protection, both of which require adequate road systems. A third element is providing for the recreational needs of the city's inhabitants. I have questions as to whether the process that this City goes through to maintain private roads is appropriate for the city as it develops. I have only begun to question this within the last couple of years, because the system does not seem to be working. Another area that I think the City may wish to address, which is a consequence of the Comprehensive Plan we have in place, has to do with the fact that the average valuation for a new construction residential building permit :.n 1990 was approxima'iely $340,000. Tf that is the stated value on the house itself, and you then consider the cost of the lot, it does lead me to wonder what the City is doing to provide for all the citizens of our city. I believe that some characteristics of the Comprehensive Plan have lead to high land costs. I am not saying that is wrong or right, it just is." Butler stated that some of Hnnson's points were valid in - 17 -