Zoning rule overhaul set for Jackson

The Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night is expected to approve widespread changes in its zoning codes, culminating a process that has been ongoing for well over a year.

The changes include topics ranging from billboards to cellular phone towers to temporary and permanent business signs.

One of the changes will help residential developers align lots.

The city will allow some flexibility in where builders and developers can locate a house. Previously, houses had to be built 30 feet off the street. The new code allows houses to be built 30 feet to 40 feet away from the curb.

Jackson developer Jerry Stoverink said he was in favor of this change.

"Sometimes it just looks better having the house back a little farther," he said. "To get that done, you have to go to the board of adjustments, and that costs you 50 bucks every time. Now they'll have some tolerance."

Sanders said the thing the general public will notice the most is the flip-flopping of general residential and duplex, zones, called R-3 and R-4 respectively.

The duplex zone was the last zone added and thus given the R-4 status. However, Sanders said, it is confusing to some people because R-3, which includes apartments, is less restrictive than R-4.

The change will put the zones in order from most restrictive to least restrictive.

"The only thing we're changing is the names," Sanders said. "Everything else will stay the same."

The changes in all the zoning codes have been much discussed over the past several months as the board reviewed the changes submitted by the planning and zoning commission and a committee before that.

Six-month signs

One item that the board of aldermen brought up that was not mentioned by planning and zoning was the issue of temporary signs.

The aldermen agreed -- but have yet to make it official -- that moveable marquee signs should be permitted for six months. After that, the signs must be removed.

The board also decided to issue free permits to all business that currently have the marquee signs. The businesses will be expected to remove the signs after six months.

The board of aldermen went against planning and zoning's suggestion to expand the areas in town where billboards would be allowed. In fact, the board put more restriction on billboards, increasing the distance between billboards on Interstate 55 from 500 feet to 1,400 feet, the same as the Missouri Department of Transportation's restrictions.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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