Parkersburg Municipal Planning Commission recommends variance over alley abandonment
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PARKERSBURG -- The city's Municipal Planning Commission on Friday recommended a zoning variance instead of a thoroughfare abandonment for a property owner wanting to put a storage building in his backyard.
Members also agreed to discuss next month whether to change the day and time of their mid-Friday monthly meetings.
The commission voted 8-0, with three members absent, to delay any action on a request from St. Marys Avenue resident Terry Dunham and his family to abandon a 34-foot section of an unnamed alley behind their house in the 1800 block. The Dunhams wanted to expand their yard for a storage trailer or building, but the city's Public Works Department had concerns about their request.
The abandoned portion would be split between the Dunhams and another adjacent property owner, effectively cutting off access to the rest of the alley, City Planner Connor LaVelle said. It would also leave multiple nearby parcels without access to a public right of way.
LaVelle said the latter issue could be addressed if the entity that owns those parcels consolidated some or all of them, but there might not be any incentive for them to do so.
"The consolidation is reviewed by the city, but the consolidation is at the will of the current property owner," he said.
Dunham could reach out to that owner, but he could also seek a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals on the required setbacks for the storage structure, LaVelle said.
That's the approach Planning Commission members favored.
"I think that the proposal (to abandon the thoroughfare) is probably the worst possible thing we could do," commission Vice President Eric Gumm said. "You would get five more feet added to your property" but would still have to have a setback from the new line.
Code Enforcement Andy Nestor said he would meet with Dunham to go over where the building could be placed if a zoning variance was pursued and granted.
Member John Reed asked if the commission should consider moving its meeting from 12:30 p.m. on the third Friday of the month. Gumm said it's been discussed in years past, before many of the current members were appointed.
"I've always believed that we'd be better served to have it at a different date and time," Gumm said, adding it's difficult for some people to get time off of work to attend.
Members agreed to place the discussion on the agenda for October's meeting.