A public hearing this evening before the Florence Planning Commission will give residents the first real chance to comment on a proposal that will create a new zoning district specifically for Coast Village. Community Development Director Sandra Belson said the changes are partly in response to resident requests.
Sandra Belson: “There had been several people from Coast Village that would come in and ask to do something with their lot and often we would have to say no.”sp00200
Originally intended to be a campground, Coast Village was never intended to be a place for full-time residents. The lots are smaller than buildable minimums and existing zoning rules prohibit dwellings that would fit on the smaller lots anyway. Because of the unique nature of the area, there’s a chance to adapt rules to Coast Village and provide an opportunity for lower cost housing says Belson.
Sandra Belson: “They want to allow things that people in other neighborhoods wouldn’t want in their neighborhoods, or don’t have the same context, so creating a zoning district just for Coast Village that could meet their needs seemed to us to be the best way to work through these issues.”(click here to listen to quote)
The city has developed a new zone that would allow the smaller dwellings and eliminates the minimum lot size. Guidelines that have been shaped using input from the Coast Village Homeowners Association. Belson says even with the rezone, there shouldn’t be significant differences.
Sandra Belson: “There won’t be any changes to the utilities or the streets. Those are still privately owned, privately maintained by the homeowners association. What it really will do, it will expand the type of uses that are allowed for residential purposes on the lots.”(click here to listen to quote)
The planning commission meets this evening at seven pm.
Please visit http://www.ci.florence.or.us/boardsandcommissions/planning-commission-4 to review the staff report and exhibits for the hearing.