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June 26, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 6, 2004 DeBoer house debate heads to council By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings One more storyline in the soap opera that has become the Sid and Karen DeBoer home takes place tonight as the Ashland City Council hears an appeal of the Planning Commission's approval to build the home. Karen DeBoer shows the house on her property that she wants razed. Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings Brian Holley, Bill Street and Colin Swales appealed an earlier decision by the three-member Planning Commission hearings board to approve the plans to remove one home on the DeBoer compound and replace it with another residence. The project calls for the removal of one house on the DeBoer's property and replace it with an approximately 11,000-square foot home. Because of the size of the home, some, including the three appelants are working to defeat it. But the DeBoers contend that they have already made several accommodations in respect to both city standards and the historic quality of the area. The current structure to be replaced was built in 1984 prior to the DeBoers moving into the home. Including the basement, the current structure rises four stories. The new home will sit just 2-1/2 stories high and will fit into the hill, said Karen DeBoer. According to Sid DeBoer, who has submitted a letter to the city council to be entered into the record at tonight's meeting, he and wife Karen purchased the 1910 Frank Clark design home in 1992 and restored the home at that time. In 2001, the couple submitted plans to expand the home at 234 Vista Street. Those plans were rejected as the Historic Commission members felt the remodel would destroy the character of the existing home. "After much deliberation, we determined that the best option was to remove the house at 265 Glenview and build a new home on that site that would achieve our objectives," Sid DeBoer wrote in his letter. "We shared this decision with the historic commissioners who were pleased we had found a solution that left our historic home untouched." Plans for that home were submitted in April of 2003 and were rejected by the city because of a ruling the home violated the hillside ordinance. The DeBoers and their architect did not think the original plan for the home was subject to the hillside ordinance. After asking for a revisit of the decision, and with the city staff standing firm on its rejection, it was determined the only way to proceed was to redo the plans. That was done and those plans were submitted in late summer of 2003. Those plans were submitted in advance of passage of the city's large home ordinance and after nearly two years of work on the model and plans for the home. At the time of submission, the home met all city standards. The plans for the home were approved by the tree commission by a 3-0 vote. Holley and Street are members of that commission. Swales is on the planning commission. The tree commission added some stipulations regarding planting of trees that the DeBoers accepted. The Hearings Board then also approved the plans for the home and rejected appeals of the decision. Tonight, the appeal of the hearings board decision will take place in city council chambers. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. By ordinance, the public testimony section of the appeal must be concluded by 9:30 p.m. If it is not concluded, it will be continued at 7 p.m. Thursday. If that second meeting is needed, the council is then tentatively scheduled to reconvene Monday, April 12 to adopt the findings. That must be done to satisfy the 120-day requirement for a decision to be made. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams