To
all Birchwood residents and property owners:
A draft of the Guidelines for Growth is now complete and available
for review and comment. Because it is 25 pages long we did not
want to e-mail it to you without your permission, If you would
like to review it now, we can e-mail it to you OR you can review
a copy placed in the Birchwood council box at the Eagle River
library (Staff there can tell you where our box is located).
This document provides direction for future growth and development
and sets the Goals, Objectives, and Policies and covers the following
broad topics: Economic Development, Natural Environment, Land
Use, & Public Facilities & Services. Soon to follow will
be the Land Use Maps showing the density and location of future
development.
At the next Birchwood Council meeting (September) we want your
feedback on the Comp Plan so far.
Also want to remind you that you have until September 15th to
make online comment on the Title 21 re-write. You can review the
re-write and make comment by going to http://www.muni.orf/planning/index.cfm
and clicking on Draft Title 21. Each separate section that lays
out Use-Specific Standards is prefaced by the following statement,
"These standards apply regardless of whether the use is permitted
by matter of right, site plan review, or conditional use."
So, if your zoning allows any use listed here, you will be governed
by these Standards. On the other hand, if your zoning doesn't
mention any of these uses, you are absolutely prohibited from
doing it. Areas of concern, other than the design and development
sections, that impact this area greatly will be found at;
page 230, (animal husbandry,commercial(boarding) If you
care for or manage dairy, livestock, or poultry the minimum lot
size is 15 acres.
page 231, (remember that commercial means any dog or horse
on your property that you don't own (boarding),etc) says minimum
2 acre lot size for dog lots and paddock/stable
page 285, says any accessory building for the storage of
vehicles with motors (typically cars but could be RV's,ATV's,
snomobiles, trailers,) whether attached and/or detached to your
home CANNOT be larger than 50% of the part of your house you actually
live in. (So if you have an attached garage & want to build
another accessory building to put more cars or other toys having
an engine in, factor in the percentage of your existing garage
storage to determine the limitation on your new "garage")
page 285, says you can't grow stuff in your garden or greenhouse
intended for sale to others
page 294, prohibiting the use of a Connex trailer for storage
on-site; and Hobby car restoration/rebuild limited to 1 vehicle
stored outdoors on the property
page 295, prohibiting automotive repair of a motor vehicle
for others on your property;
page 296 prohibiting frame supported/fabric structures,
like cloth garages,etc;
To all of you that are zoned R-9, the re-write does NOT carry
forward the exemption you currently enjoy of having a home-based
business that exceeds the home occupation limitations.
FINALLY, the Large Domestic Animal Ordinance composed by Community
Planning will be coming up before the Assembly for approval in
September. Anyone that has livestock or llamas will be affected.
If you have a neighbor who has horses, cows, etc. pass this information
on to them. If you would like to read the staff report and comments
made so far, go to http;//munimaps.muni.org/planning/home3.htm
and type in Case number 2004-137. Community Planning and the Assembly
will be having a work session on the body of this proposed ordinance
on Sept 23, room 155 in City Hall, between 1-2 PM. I suspect the
Public Hearing may be held Sept 27th, we should know the date
after the next Assembly meeting (09/13)
Our Comp Plan, the Title 21 re-write, and the LDA Ordinance will
have major impacts in Birchwood. Please review them all so you
can let your Council and the Assembly know what parts you approve/disapprove
of.
Bobbi Wells, Chair
Birchwood Community Council
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