St. Helens council remands triplex appeal to planning commission, conditions 120‑day extension

The St. Helens City Council on Jan. 15 remanded an appeal of the Planning Commission's denial of a conditional use permit and multiple variances for a proposed triplex at the corner of Wyeth and North Bibb Street back to the Planning Commission, on the condition that the applicant agree in writing to extend the 120‑day decision deadline.

City planner Jacob Gration told the council the hearing was a “quasi‑judicial land use hearing” and summarized the proposal and the variances under review. The subject parcel is a narrow corner lot historically occupied by a triplex that was destroyed by fire and later demolished; Gration said the city’s rules generally remove nonconforming rights if a structure is substantially destroyed.

The applicant, Dan Hatfield of LaGrange Townhomes LLC, told the council he bought the property “as a triplex” and said he was seeking to rebuild essentially the same footprint. Hatfield said he spent roughly $20,000 to clear the burned structure and that a duplex would be a backup option if the triplex was not permitted.

Why it matters: The Planning Commission denied the conditional use permit and related variances; the council must now decide whether to uphold, reverse, or…