OCR Text |
Show Owners of this old South Ward Chapel, Pat and Chuck Jefferson, pondered this week how they might recoup California Pair Denied Zone Change Two former California residents, newly moved to Panguitch, were disappointed and frustrated with the proceedings of the July 7 public hearing which was held at the regular ci'y council meeting. Chuck Jefferson and his wife, Pat, had purchased the old South Ward church building on South Main Street last year with plans to turn it into a theater with small gift shops. Mrs. Jefferson who attended the city council meeting while her husband rerraired in California at their Apple Valley home have said that she ex- their investment after the Panguitch City Council denied charge of zoning status from residential to commercial. pected no opposition to their formal request for a zoning change form residential to commercial. The building is situated on Main Street just south of the intersection of Main Street and Center. She said she had earlier contacted neighbors about their plans for the building and were met with positive feelings. She said she was astonished to discover at the city council meeting that a petition in opposition to their plans had been circulated among their new neighbors. Twenty-five signatures were affixed to the petition which was presented to the city council at the meeting. Some townspeople expressed opposition to the Jefferson's proposal for the property. Two city councilmen appeared to support her position and the final vote was 2 to 2 with Mayor Wallace Lee casting the tie-breaking vote. The planning committee had met prior to the city council meeting and determined that the property shold be rezoned granting the Jefferson's for mal request for a zoning change. Their recommendation anticipated nc (Continued on Page 6) i j ' ' ) Pair Denied Zone Change (Continued from Page 1) problems associated with the action. The July 7 city council' meeting had been set as a public hearing to consider the zoning change. All. who lived or owned property near the building were sent letters notifying them of the Tuesday evening hearing. Some controversy had surrounded the building last year when the Jef-fersons originally sought to purchase it from the LDS church according to Mrs. Jefferson. They had tendered a deposit she said which was returned to them after the county decided to purchase the building to use for county offices on a shared plan with Panguitch City. Inability of the two local governing bodies to find a satisfactory plan for sharing the facility resulted in hoth dropping their plans to purchase. The building was once agian made available and the Jeffersons were so notified whereupon they purchased as previously planned. Mrs. Jefferson's query to the council if they had purchased the building from the city wouldn't they have had to zone it commercial. The council acknowledged that they probably would. Mrs. Jefferson said she pointed out that they needed to recoup their investment and would not be able to do since such a large building obviously was not Intended for residential use. She said she would circulate a counter-petition seeking signatures in support of their request for commercial zoning. She noted that many residences along Main Street arc operating businesses and several not along Main Street are doing likewise. She asked how a theater and small shops could generate any more noise than, the building had when it was functioning as an LDS Church in full operation. The petition in opposition pointed out that the section of Main Street on which the property is located has traditionally been a residential area and that several senior citizens who live nearby would be disturbed by the noise the theater and shops would generate. They objected to what they saw as a potentiaf for more trasn int the area. The city's decision to deny the request appears to be udner attack from some quarters and the Jefferson's are trying to seek support for their position. |