St. Helens council sends McCarter variances back to planning commission for reconsideration

The St. Helens City Council on April 16 remanded for reconsideration an appeal by Kevin and Catherine McCarter of the Planning Commission’s denial of three variances needed to split a house and an attached shop at 35732 Hankey Road.

The council voted to send the case back to the Planning Commission with direction that the commission consider additional information, including the lack of developable land on the opposite side of Hankey Road. The remand is contingent on the applicants agreeing to extend the 120‑day statutory review period so the Planning Commission can revisit the record.

The variances at issue are for reduced lot size, reduced lot width and reduced side setbacks. Planning staff described the proposal as a prelude to a future partition: the R‑7 zoning district requires a minimum lot area of 7,000 square feet; the McCarters’ proposed parcel would be roughly 5,100 square feet, according to staff. Staff…