Numerous concerned city residents came to Monday night’s special city council meeting to voice their opinion on a proposed zoning rule change.
The rule, known unofficially as the “five-acre rule,” states the minimum amount of acreage a house may be built upon in a housing subdivision is five acres. The city council moved to ask the planning and zoning board to lower the minimum size to either 21/2 acres or one acre.
“What I think we need to do is get away from the five-acre rule altogether,” said Vice-Mayor Chris Young.
Lone Grove resident Johnny Vogel called the rule discriminatory against “average people.”
“It’s hurting the growth of the city to keep this five-acre thing,” Vogel said. “It may have been put there for a purpose, but it’s outlived that purpose.”
Another city resident, Dan McDaniel, simply wanted a rule that would be enforced equally throughout the town.
“I know there are houses being built in the city on one acre,” McDaniel said. “I think the city should be consistent in what it’s doing.”
McDaniel took issue, however, with a requirement in the proposed rule requiring homes to have paved roads regardless of property size.
“I think it’s ridiculous to require paved roads. I grew up on gravel roads and it didn’t bother me one bit.”
Young said the road rule is necessary as the city will eventually have to come repair the roads.
“It’s going to happen to where the city will have to take care of these roads,” Young said.
After the council made its motion, Young turned to interim City Manager Ian O’Neal, giving him a message to take to the planning and zoning board.
“Fix the problem where we don’t have to come back at taxpayers’ expense,” he said.
In other items, the council moved to create a five-person committee to review applications for city manager. City Manager Johnny Loard said the state attorney general recently issued an opinion stating the committee method as the legal way to choose a city manager.
“It may not have been done in the past, but this opinion is fairly new,” Loard said.
The council decided the committee should include two city council members, a city employee and two citizens. The proposed committee members are Mayor J.L. Self, council member Jeff Matthews, City Clerk Terri Downs, and citizens Clay Bell and Monty Jones.
