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Planning commission approves conditional use permit for EMS living quarters
Summary
The City of Green River Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit Feb. 18 for living quarters adjacent to the city yard to house visiting EMS personnel, with a requirement to meet applicable building code standards and any required shower facilities.
City of Green River Planning Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit for living quarters for emergency medical services personnel on Feb. 18, 2025.
The permit covers a small structure next to the city yard (the building formerly used as the teen center) where the city seeks to provide sleeping and kitchen space for visiting EMTs who previously stayed in a storage room inside the Public Safety Building or leased hotel rooms. Commissioners approved the permit with a condition that the facility comply with applicable building codes, including requirements for showers if those codes apply.
Commissioners and staff said the space already has a sewer connection, a posted address and exterior lighting, and includes kitchen facilities. The structure does not currently contain an internal shower; staff discussed options including continuing to allow use of shower facilities at the Public Safety Building, retrofitting a shower into the unit (estimated at a "couple thousand dollars" if retrofitting is required), or revisiting additions after an initial trial period. Commissioners noted a legal limit on conditional use permits: once issued the permit remains with the property while the approved use continues, so the permit cannot be made time-limited.
Commissioners reviewed the general criteria in the municipal code (including compatibility with surrounding structures, public health and safety, traffic and parking, utility capacity, emergency access, lighting, and nuisance protections) and determined the application met those standards with the stated condition to comply with applicable building code provisions (transcript references to IBC/IVC). The commission made a motion to approve the permit with that stipulation; the motion carried unanimously among the five commissioners present.
The commission and staff said the living quarters are intended as a short-term staffing support measure while the city continues local recruitment. Staff said they will confirm which specific building-code provisions apply and, if a shower is required, will identify funding and contractors to complete the work.
Votes at a glance Motion: Approve conditional use permit for living quarters for EMS adjacent to the city yard, with condition to comply with applicable building codes (including required shower facilities, if code requires). Outcome: Approved (unanimous)
Next steps cited by staff include confirming exact code citations to which the facility must comply, determining cost and timetable for any needed plumbing/shower work, and implementing the code-compliance condition before or shortly after occupancy as required by staff and code.
