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Show Council revises businesses to be permitted downtown By GARY R. BLODGETT News Editor : BOUNTIFUL - After a long discussion concerning what types of businesses should be allowed in downtown Bountiful, the city Council last Wednesday tentatively approved a slightly revised version of its proposal. The tentative approval - with some changes and some uncertainties uncer-tainties - will stand until after continuation con-tinuation of a public hearing set.fpr May 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Bountiful City Hall. At that time, the council is expected ex-pected to give final approval to the land (business) uses within an 18-square 18-square block area of the city extending ex-tending from 500 South to 400 North and from 100 East to 100 West. Revisions proposed at Wednes- day's council meeting are to change auto self-service, auto service ser-vice stations, and laundromats from permitted use to conditional use. Under "conditional use," businesses could be built in the downtown area but could have specific spe-cific conditions attached that would strictly control construction, construc-tion, landscaping, etc. Still tentatively scheduled to be "deleted" from construction within with-in ...the.. J8.-square block area are , planned "dwelling groups; health care centers (not to be confused with live-in facilities for the elderl--y; mental health centers; cleaning establishment (where cleaning is done on the premises); and land used for growing commercial crops. City Manager Tom Hardy told the council that a staff of city em ployees has "tried desperately" to make the proposal as precise as possible - but that it is almost impossible im-possible to define all types of business busi-ness in such a way that it (business) can fit into one category or another. One of the most difficult to define de-fine is the business that sells everything every-thing from used or second-hand goods to antiques. Mayor Dean S. Stahle said about businesses, "If they are useful to the downtown area and mix with the existing businesses, then they should be permitted - without a conditional use." Mr. Hardy suggested that perhaps all businesses could be permitted but the city ordinance could be very strict in its requirements require-ments of construction, setback, parking, landscaping, etc. "It's very difficult to permit one (type of) business and not allow, or allow under conditional use another business unless there is a real good reason for the restriction," restric-tion," he said. City Atty. Layne B. Forbes said the council should be careful about its selections because of legal ramifications rami-fications - especially when dealing with existing and conditional use businesses. Councilman Keith Barton noted that despite the permitted or conditional condi-tional use requirements placed on businesses, "In the long-run economics eco-nomics will dictate what will be developed de-veloped on very expensive proper-ty proper-ty in the downtown area." The original list of "concerned businesses" was prepared by the newly organized Downtown Advisory Council. Before extensive exten-sive study by the council, there were recommendations for seven types of businesses to be deleted from the area, and six more were placed on the conditional use roster. But following a lengthy public hearing - with most of the speakers being owners of existing businesses busines-ses -- the list was revised and three of the businesses earmarked for deletion de-letion was changed to "conditional use." The council said it would continue con-tinue to study the matter and a vote is expected following the May 28 public hearing. |