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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us October 28, 2005 Planners OK front porch plan Other setback proposals don’t garner support By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings TALENT — Realizing snout-nosed houses may be a thing of the past, the Talent Planning Commission said yes to front porches, postponed making a decision about code exemptions for houses with specific architectural features and approved the design of the new Talent Library on Thursday night. Commissioners — half of whom are new to the panel — clarified an amendment to reduce the front setbacks of houses if the owner wants to add a front porch to the structure. The change, which the city council will need to approve, pleased the handful of audience members. Most were local builders and all advocated that front porches create a neighborhood feeling and better utilize the 20 feet required between the house and the street. Charlie Hamilton, a developer who lives in Talent, told the commission the front porches in his area help create a neighborhood feeling that has led to Fourth of July celebrations and pumpkin carving parties on Halloween. “It truly works,” Hamilton said. The new framework retains the 20-foot setback for houses, but allows front porches that are not enclosed or glassed-in to encroach up to eight feet inside of that setback. Houses on collector or arterial streets — the busiest in town — must have 20 feet between the edge of the front porch and the street for safety reasons. The commission had sent a recommendation for front porch allowances to the council in June, but councilors felt the framework for approval was too specific. It only allowed the addition of porches to homes constructed before the five-year building moratorium went into effect in 1997. New construction, therefore, would have not been granted the front porch allowance. “In essence, we’re just changing the setback by allowing front porches,” commissioner Teresa Cooke said. City Planner John Adam agreed, but noted the exemption is only for front porches. “I hate to see a house sitting there with just a little canopy over the front door,” said commissioner Frank Falserella, a past mayor, city councilor and planning commissioner in Talent who returned to city government this month. “It looks like a barracks. This gives it some character.” The recommendation will go to the city council for approval. Stair steps The discussion of an amendment that would allow developers to build inside the eight-foot side setback required for two-story buildings did not have similar support among commissioners. The change would give developers the option to utilize a stair-step structure — a wider first story with a smaller second floor above it — to alter the look of neighborhoods. However, commissioners had worried that firefighters wouldn’t be able to reach the second story with so little space between the house and the fence. They also expressed concerns that the change simply gives developers more floor space to sell. New commissioner Charles Cherry noted developers are already allowed to build this structure of homes, but that they must do it within the setback guidelines that some commissioners, including Cherry and Falserella, felt are too lenient as is. “I’m disturbed by the erosion of setbacks,” Cherry said. The current regulations for a two-story house require an eight-foot setback. The proposed change would make the first-floor setback five feet and the second story eight feet. Commissioners tabled the discussion and requested Adam ask representatives from Jackson County Fire District 5 speak to the commission about how much space the fire department needs to access the second story of a home. Library earns praise The design of the new Talent Library received a warm welcome from the commission. The commission approved the site plan for the 7,083-square-foot facility that will be built at 101 I St., only expressing concerns about which direction the front of the building will face. The library will front the city park, instead of I or Home streets, to allow people to utilize both areas with ease. Commissioner William Cecil emphasized the need to direct pedestrians to the entrance. The commission approved a requirement for the library system to work with the city civic center committee, which is developing the park with urban renewal funds, to draw attention to the sidewalk that leads from I Street to the park and front entrance. “It makes sense to differentiate the sidewalk in some way,” commissioner Carol Malcolm said. In other business: • commissioners and city councilors started the meeting with a 45-minute discussion about the role of the planning commission, city planning staff and the city council. The accusations made by former planning commissioner Ken Gosling that city staff inappropriately helped developers through the planning process spurred the discussion. The city will provide planning commissioners with educational opportunities to learn better understand their work. 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