Wellsville lot can be split, but it will cost landowner a fire hydrant
March 12th, 2010 Posted in OpinionBy Kayla Woodring
WELLSVILLE—After a public hearing Wednesday night, the Wellsville Planning Commission approved an additional building lot in the Hendry subdivision at 40 N. 100 West, with the stipulation that the block’s third fire hydrant be installed at the expense of petitioner Gary Hendry.
Hendry, who owns a lot at the proposed location, wants to split his lot into two parcels so his son can build a home on the land.
City engineer Chris Breinholdt surveyed the land prior to the hearing and made several recommendations for it in order to secure approval from the zoning commission. These recommendations include the installation of an additional fire hydrant on the block.
Hendry asked the commission to reconsider this proposal.
“There’s already a fire hydrant in the corner and one in the south. I don’t know why you need another,” Hendry said. “There doesn’t seem to be a need for one in the middle of the block.”
No one on the commission knew why Breinholdt had recommended the installation of an additional fire hydrant. Russell Glenn suggested that Hendry call the city offices and speak with City Manager Don Hartle, who was unable to attend the meeting, to learn the reasons behind the recommendation. Glenn also said if no justifications based upon code could be produced, the fire hydrant requirement would be stricken from the proposal.
The commission agreed to approve Hendry’s request upon agreement that he would comply with all of Breinholdt’s recommendations, including the fire hydrant unless no sound justification could be produced.
After the conditional approval, Hendry was still confused and upset by the commission’s requirements and Breinholdt’s recommendations.
“This fire hydrant thing has really got me puzzled,” Hendry said upon leaving the meeting. “There isn’t a block in Wellsville that has a fire hydrant on both corners and in the middle of the street.”
The other requirements included the identification of sewer and water lines on the new lot’s preliminary plat design, visible presentation of the address, and adjustments to the 6-inch plan for the water line because an 8-inch line is necessary in order to obtain proper pressure.
The lot in question is 198 feet across the front, and Hendry’s approved proposal will split the lot into two with one parcel measuring 93 feet and the other, 105 feet.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting the committee approved revisions to the Wellsville General Plan, a series of documents and photographs designed to guide city officials on how to prepare for population growth in Wellsville in coming decades.
The revisions were done by city official Jay Nielson who stressed the importance of community planning. He said he wants to make sure that adequate preparations are made to protect the zoning plans of Cache Valley.
“One of the great things about Cache Valley is that this area has been a sea of agriculture with islands of communities throughout it,” Nielson said. “We don’t want to become a continuous stream of buildings like our neighbors on the Wasatch Front have.”
The commission will discuss the plan again in coming months and then recommend that the City Council review it as well.
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Tags: fire hydrants, Hendry, Planning Commission, Wellsville
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