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Planning & Zoning Board June 11, 2003 Page 4 • meet setbacks and the City has brought this on by allowing houses to be built on such small lots. • • Ms. Lane suggested the structures be restricted from visibility from the street, with a placement restriction in the back yard so side neighbors do not have to view them. Mr. Corson suggested as a minimum the structures should be well maintained. Mr. Hyden indicated he agrees in allowing the structures for temporary use. If they are used for storage the property owner should obtain an accessory structure permit. Chair Schaps stated this should be recognized as a temporary structure, which can be allowed with a permit for a time period of several months. It would not be wise to put these structures up in the winter due to possible damage by snow. Mr. Smyser explained this issue has not been discussed by the City Council. There has not been any enforcement action on these structures. When residents have inquired what is allowed with the structures staff has informed them they must meet setbacks and accessory square footage requirements on the lot. There is nothing in the ordinance, however, that states that. Many of the structures have been put up without notifying the City. He advised if something is done from a regulatory standpoint the zoning ordinance would need to be amended. He explained when staff first started seeing these structures a few years ago they questioned if they would be a safety hazard due to the possibility of them being crushed by snow. Most of the structures, however, are to cover things such as boats. Staff did not believe there would be safety issues from that standpoint. Chair Schaps suggested there be an exception to the permit requirement for a situation such as a party, as the structure would only be needed for a day or two. He directed staff to bring the suggestions of the Commission to the Council for discussion. Mr. Tralle commented not all of these structures are cheap. There are some structures that can house four rv's at a cost of $6,000. Chair Schaps inquired if a structure of that size would fall under the accessory structure ordinance. Mr. Smyser responded it is very common in situations like this for the manufacturer to say a permit is not required. That, however, is up to the individual municipality. Mr. Tralle asked how a large structure like this would fit into a rural zone. Mr. Smyser responded currently the amount of allowed accessory building space is dependent on the size of the lot, and the temporary structures could be included in this. Mr. Tralle questioned if passing an ordinance in relation to these structures would create another ordinance that is not going to be enforced. DRAFT MINUTES