New subdivisions?

P&Z holds on giving recommendations to town

Prior to the regular Basin Town Council meeting on May 28, the town’s Planning and Zoning Committee held a public meeting regarding two subdivisions. One subdivision was the Bassett/Wiles on the south end of Basin. The request was to divide the property into smaller lots while keeping the zoning designation the same. The other subdivision was the Wyo-Gains lot across from the fairgrounds. The request was for sub-division of the commercial zoned lot.  

A group of people came to the P & Z meeting to express their feelings on the proposals. P & Z members Mike Dellos, Travis Schriner and Colin Stolzer were at the meeting in person. Carl Olson attended the meeting via the phone as did Kirk Farrelly from developer company Capital Growth Buchalter. 

Ann Brundage who lives south of the proposed Bassett/Wiles subdivision on U.S. Highway 16/20 told the council, as did Lynne Davies, the ad in the paper advertising the P & Z meeting had the old town hall’s address on Fourth Street. They were concerned that others may have gone to the wrong address like they did. 

Brundage asked how the irrigation on the Bassett/Wiles subdivision would be done. She gets her irrigation from the lot that is west of her property. Olson responded “I think we’d have to look at that. I believe that if they break that up into lots and they go would go after raw water, they will have to turn all the water rights over to the town. Then put in a raw water system.” Dellos agreed.  Brundage pointed out she doesn’t get raw water; she only has irrigation water. She then followed up with a question about if livestock would be allowed. She has lived in her home for 29 years and was grandfathered in. 

Olson responded that in the rural residential zoning a certain number of livestock per acre was allowed. Brundage wanted to make sure any changes wouldn’t affect her and potential buyers should she sell. Schriner explained this board would only deal with a zoning change. 

The committee asked for comments regarding the Wyo-Gains subdivision. Audience member Phil Hartman asked for maps and plats for the public to see. Dellos said he didn’t have one but asked town staffer Josh Fischer for them. Fischer replied they were the same ones from the previous meeting. Basin resident Kathy Ledgerwood stated the public wasn’t provided readable copies at the previous meeting. Fischer made larger copies and handed the copies out to those that wanted them.  

Hartman asked if the driveway exiting South Fifth Street was still part of the plan for the potential developer. Dellos said that the driveway was not part of the subdivision discussion. Farrelly noted that the driveway has been removed from the plans. The only public access will be from South Fourth Street. There will still be a utility access easement. Ledgerwood asked if there was going to be a sidewalk and curb. Dellos explained that the full development plan has not been seen. The meeting tonight is to discuss granting the request to sub divide the lot. Should the request be granted by the committee and the town, development plans would then be brought forth. Those too would have be approved. 

Various people in the meeting expressed their concern about the subdividing of the lot and the business that wants to build there. Stolzer emphasized that this meeting was only to recommend if the sub-division was meeting the town codes. “It has nothing to do with who ends up buying the property after that division. If you have a code issue you want to defend then we will deal with that.” Schriner added that whoever buys the property will have to come before the P & Z with plans. The committee will review to approve or disapprove. Some of the concerns expressed by citizens about those plans  would be discussed publicly and openly. 

Davies asked the committee if there was anything the P & Z or the council could do to stop a specific business from coming into town if the citizens of Basin asked them to say no. Stolzer noted that if the building lot doesn’t meet the codes, it can be turned down at the P & Z level. The potential business can bring back a plan that meets the code. As far as the economic development discussion, he isn’t clear where the council can draw the line.  Audience members noted as they had at previous meetings, that the council and committee have in their own statutes wording that directs them to adopt ordinance, resolutions, regulations, etc. that are not in conflict with the health, safety and welfare of the city or town. 

Town engineer Jesse Frisbee noted that this public hearing was the only one required to discuss the proposed subdivision. If the commercial property is purchased the P & Z will discuss the site plans at a regularly scheduled P & Z meeting. There will not be a special meeting. 

After lengthy continued discussion Dellos told the audience that the committee understands their concerns. The P & Z did not make a recommendation for either subdivision for the council at this meeting.