Scofield council sets April 13 public hearing on R‑2 zoning, setbacks and lowering building height to 27 feet

The Scofield Town Council voted on March 9 to set a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on April 13 to consider several ordinance amendments, including creation of an R‑2 zone, changes to commercial setbacks and a recommended reduction in maximum structure height.

Council members said the recommended 27-foot maximum reflects fire-suppression limits for the town’s equipment. "We recommended that we lower it from 30 to 27," a council speaker said during the planning-and-zoning report, noting the town lacks a ladder truck and the lower limit is intended to keep buildings within the town’s firefighting capability.

Mayor and council discussed scheduling logistics and whether an evening or weekend hearing would improve attendance; the council settled on 5:30 p.m. before the regular meeting to allow time for questions. The council also discussed holding a pre-hearing meeting to answer technical questions and the possibility of remote (Zoom/Teams) participation; town staff said the town does not currently have a remote-meeting capability.

Planning and Zoning representatives urged that the items (R‑2, commercial zero setbacks, and height) be lumped together for a single public hearing; the council approved scheduling the hearing and asked planning staff to prepare materials and public notices in advance.

Next steps: A public hearing notice and supporting materials will be posted to inform residents of proposed R‑2 standards, setback changes and the building-height adjustment; town staff said they would meet with interested residents and bring planning staff to future meetings as needed.