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Resident lashes out over North Hartmann setbacks; planning staff says existing homes meet code
Summary
Public commenter Derek Watson pressed the council to enforce 80-foot front setbacks on North Hartmann Drive and questioned whether the city will acquire lots to correct close construction; planning staff said about 34 homes meet the codes in place at time of construction and that the annexation on the agenda likely cannot meet conservation-district setbacks.
Derek Watson, a Lebanon resident, told the City Council during the public-comment period that recent subdivisions along North Hartmann Drive have failed to follow what he said were previously applied 80-foot front setbacks, and urged the city to act to prevent large rigs from traveling close to new homes.
"The D.R. Horton houses are only 42 ft from North Hartmann," Watson said, adding later that "Councilman Carmack [is] the lead idiot" in his characterization of a council response at a prior meeting. His three-minute allotment concluded without a formal council response beyond procedural remarks.
Planning staff responded later in the meeting. Kristen Rice, identified on the agenda as the city's Executive Director of Engineering and Planning, told Watson the planning office counted about 34 houses along Hartman Drive that "meet the codes that were in place at the time of construction." Rice said the annexation item on the night's agenda likely cannot meet conservation-district setback standards because of the parcel's size and layout, and that staff would pursue the buffering measures previously discussed with the commenter.
Rice also said Hartman Drive has an 80-foot right-of-way with grass strips and sidewalks, and that other neighborhoods include houses closer to thoroughfares; she said staff will "work through it" and keep safety in mind as the annexation and development proceed.
The council did not take a formal action on Watson's request during the meeting. The annexation and related zoning items for 1544 Rutland Place — discussed during old business and approved by the council — remain subject to the site-specific review and the limits Rice described.
