By Stevensville Planning Board: Aimee Cavill, Mel Cook, Dan Cranston, Mark Adams, Desera Towle and Ben Longbottom
The Stevensville Planning and Zoning Board is presently reviewing and proposing updates to the Town’s zoning ordinances, and we are inviting all interested citizens and residents of the immediate area to participate in the process by attending a public meeting Wednesday, May 1st at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Council chambers.
Perhaps a brief history of Stevensville’s zoning regulations is in order. We have had zoning in place since the early 1980’s, the first community in the valley to do so. By and large, these regulations and the periodic updates have been free from major controversy; in our opinion, because we and past boards have involved the public and kept you informed. In 1996, at the request of the affected area, we extended our zoning codes to include all areas one mile south of the Town limits and between the Supply Ditch and Bitterroot River, excepting a small area which is in the Holly Lane Voluntary Zoning District.
In addition to some minor and housekeeping types of changes, we will be discussing and considering three more far reaching and major changes, and discussion of these is the intent of this public meeting. We will be discussing and seeking input on the following:
• Would it be desirable to create provisions to allow, with proper approval, smaller sized building lots in some new developments? Current minimum lot sizes required are 10,000 square feet. Would lots as small as perhaps 7,000 square feet allow opportunity for more affordable housing?
• Should we create provisions to allow mixed uses in some areas, for example, a mix of single family and multi-family (duplexes or apartments), and/or perhaps some low-impact, neighborhood type businesses?
• Would you be in favor of allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s), sometimes known as mother-in-law houses, in residential areas?
Please plan to attend and make your views known. We all have a stake in helping to chart the direction in which we want our Town to continue to develop. Again, that is Wednesday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. See you there.