City commission preliminarily approves tiny homes zoning
The Henderson City Commission on Tuesday heard first reading and voted unanimously to approve tiny homes zoning ordinance regulations.
The city commission approved regulations that permit tiny homes in the planned unit development district, manufactured home district and the residential subdivided manufactured home district.
The ordinance also allows tiny homes within the residential medium- to high-density district and Audubon residential district with a conditional use permit.
And the ordinance includes language defining a tiny home as a single-family living unit with a size of 120 to 800 square feet, built on a permanent foundation, includes independent living facilities for permanent occupancy and is subject to the same utility and permitting requirements as other single-family dwellings.
City Attorney Dawn Kelsey said tiny homes had been allowed in the zoning districts above except manufactured home district. But there had been some confusion about the specifics of what was allowable.
“This makes it clear,” she said. It also allows for tiny homes to be constructed in the manufactured home district, she said.
Parks Department shuffling money around to pay for new initiatives
The city of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department is shuffling its funding within the city’s annual budget to make way for events, programs, training, projects and equipment, said new Parks Director Thomas Kenney at Tuesday’s Henderson City Commission meeting. Kenney has been on the job for a few months and is looking for ways to add things he feels would benefit his department. He said money is being moved from different line items.
City recognizes new employees:
- Andrew Rush, Henderson Police Department. Rush will work as a school resource officer at Henderson County High School. He is a former chief of police in Mt. Vernon.
- Brian Shelton, Equipment operator for Henderson Water Utility
- Chris Penson, Utility system 1 employee for HWU
Stallings reconfigures SS4A language to retain money
Henderson County Engineer Nick Stallings had to re-do some of the work he’d done to secure a $3.3 million Safe Streets For All grant that had been awarded to the county last year.
Stallings said because of new requirements that have come with the new presidential administration, he had to make some small changes. He received word before Tuesday’s Henderson County Fiscal Court meeting that the county will retain the $3.3 million it had been awarded.
The county will need to provide a $24,000 match, while the state will provide an $800,000 match. The more than $4 million in funding will be used to replace signs, remove trees that are close to roads and widen shoulders, Stallings said. All improvements are meant to improve the safety of county roads, Stallings said.
New bathroom ready at Sandy Watkins Park
Stallings also announced that a new bathroom building that is connected to a Sandy Lee Watkins Park shelter people often rent for parties has been completed. It is at the back of the park. Paid with a grant, it cost $267,000, Stallings said.
