Dateline: February 5, 2004

City aldermen agree to zoning changes

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon Aldermen cleared the way for an assisted living center to be built here last Tuesday by changing the zoning restrictions for residential areas.

The board voted unanimously to amend Ordinance 207 to allow state licensed assisted living facilities in the R1 and R2 districts.

The change follows a request by Sue Leeper to build a 16-bed center on three lots adjacent to her home on Taylor Street. Under the previous rules, such a facility could not be built on Leeper’s property, which falls in the R1 district.

In a second public hearing on the issue last week, city officials read a letter from two citizens opposed to the zoning change, and one citizen appeared in person to speak against the amendment.

Jim and Mary Douglas wrote that they understood Clarendon’s need for an assisted living center but that they felt the R1 district should remain residential only for fear of the city losing the ability to attract new homeowners.

Alan Graham addressed the board and asked if any studies had been done with regards to the impact an assisted living center would have on traffic and utilities in Leeper’s neighborhood.

“The streets need repair,” he said. “I bet you can count 30 potholes just in front of my house.”

Graham, who is the administrator of the Donley County Hospital District, said he also understands the need for an assisted living center but recalled that Leeper was on the hospital board when it created a 5-year plan in 1999, which included having assisted living facilities on the Medical Center campus.

He asked why she didn’t consider a location near the Medical Center, which is already zoned for assisted living facilities. Leeper replied that she needed it to be near her home.

Other questions raised during the public hearing focused on the appearance and construction of Leeper’s proposed building, which is still in the design stages. City Administrator Sean Pate said these issues would be addressed when Leeper applies for a building permit.

When constructed, Leeper said her Country Cottage Assisted Living Center will employ six to eight full time employees.

In other city business, aldermen heard from Willard Skelton, who addressed lighting needs for the Saints’ Roost Museum’s annual gun show at the Clarendon Community Center. Aldermen agreed to use $200 from the motel bed tax fund for this purpose.

Audit reports for the City of Clarendon and the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation were presented by Gordon Maddox and approved by the board. Alderman Michael Tibbets asked CEDC representatives to explain the expenditure of $65,548 for special projects at the next meeting.

The board voted 3-1 to purchase a pickup from Greenbelt Water Authority for use by the street department. Alderman Tommy Hill opposed, and Alderman Bobbie Kidd was absent.

The board discussed authorizing the city administrator as one of two signatures on city checks, but Pate said he did not want to do this. The board instead agreed to have Alderman Janice Knorpp as an authorized co-signer in the case of the unavailability of Mayor Tex Selvidge or Mayor Pro-tem Mark White.

In his administrative report, Pate said the city’s application for a solid waste grant through the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission was successful. The city will receive full funding in the amount of $8,000 to construct a 16’x30’ metal building near the recycling center.

Pate also said that RCI Technologies had completed the inventory of city property for the new GASB-34 accounting requirements with the exception of dating the city’s radio tower on the west side of town. It was believed to have been built in the late 1960s, but no evidence of it could be found in records from that time. City officials will now look at later records after Alderman White recalled putting his handprints in the wet concrete at the tower as a kid in about 1973.