Clayton Council moves to change zoning for property owner

Man seeks new classification so he can sell lot at 33 W. Salem St.

CLAYTON — A Clayton resident sought relief from an old zoning regulation at the July 16 Clayton Council meeting so he could sell his property.

Voting 7-0, Council approved an ordinance in its first of two readings to change the zoning classification for the property at 33 W. Salem St. from GB-General Business to UR-1 Urban Residential.

Before the merger with Randolph Twp., there was a business on the property, thus the need for the GB zoning.

Thomas McCreary, owner of the 33 W. Salem St. property, found a buyer. But when the potential buyer sought financing for the lot, the buyer was informed that no financing would be forthcoming due to the GB zoning.

Brian Elkins, Clayton’s community services director, informed Council that the property is just west of a city-owned gazebo on West Salem Street.

In other business, Council approved final readings of two ordinances. Ordinance 07-09-11 allows the city to collect from property owners not paying their trash-hauling fees.

“This is money the waste hauler had tried to collect, then billed the city for it,” said councilman G. Malcom Treon. “The city will now try to collect the fees.”

Those fees total more than $32,000.

The other ordinance allows for lighting district assessments for several neighborhoods in the city.

Council approved a $400,000 bid for street paving and re-sealing from the J.R. Jergens Co. Originally the plan was to spend $500,000 on street maintenance in Clayton for 2009. Prior to the July 16 meeting, it was decided to reduce the program by $100,000.

Councilman Ron Pretekin called the reduction being a “good steward” of public money.

“This shows we are prudent stewards of the public money,” Pretekin said.

City Manager David Rowlands informed Council that the Clayton Fire Association will be having a Waffle Sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 1, at Fire Station 85, located at the intersection of Taywood and Old Salem roads in Clayton.

The next meeting of Clayton Council will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Clayton Government Center on Taywood Road.

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