La Plata board postpones Pine Grove special-exception hearing after staff finds setback discrepancy

The La Plata Town Board voted unanimously to postpone a public hearing on a special-exception application for the Pine Grove development on the grounds that the town’s staff report and the applicant’s master site development plan contain inconsistent information.

Acting Planning Director Celia Craze told the board she discovered an omission in the Planning Commission’s report and the applicant’s statement of justification: “The required side yard for a single family dwelling in this zone is 8 feet,” she said, then noted that the applicant’s statement showed “the actual side yard setback was 5 feet,” a variance from what the zoning table requires. Craze said the applicant later provided a third addendum to the master site development plan indicating front and rear yard setbacks were not required.

The discrepancy prompted the applicant’s land-use attorney, Steve Scott, to request a continuance so the parties could correct the record and present a consistent package to the board and the public. “We agreed that it was important for the integrity of these proceedings that the inconsistency between the staff report and the application and the master site development plan be corrected,” Scott said. “We'd like to continue this…proceeding to a date acceptable to the board.”

Chairman Williams moved to grant the continuance, saying the pause would allow staff and the applicant to correct the town report and re-advertise the hearing so the public has access to the accurate record. “I will then, move to grant the applicant and the town's request to postpone this hearing in order to correct the town report and for the applicant to clarify the application, to a date to be set either prior to December 13, if feasible, otherwise after the new year,” Williams said. Commissioner Thorn seconded the motion. The board approved the postponement unanimously.

Before the continuance vote, the board briefly met in closed session to consult with town counsel under state statute, cited by the chair as “state government article 3-305 b7,” to receive legal advice on the continuance request and related procedural issues. After returning to open session, Williams also noted a short power outage at town hall during the break.

What happens next: The town will correct and republish the staff report, and staff and the applicant will arrange an agreed date for the continued hearing, with the board aiming to reschedule before Dec. 13 if staff can complete the required re-advertising and sign posting; otherwise the hearing will be set in early January. The board also approved minutes from the prior meeting earlier in the session.