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Residents tell Burton council proposed subdivision ordinance could bar property sales, raise city costs
Summary
At a workshop on Aug. 27, Burton residents told the council the draft Simplified Subdivision (Land Division) Ordinance may prevent owners from selling portions of their lots and could be costly; council asked the city attorney to review public suggestions and engineering comments before revising the draft.
The Burton City Council heard multiple public comments on Aug. 27 about a proposed Simplified Subdivision (Land Division) Ordinance that residents said could limit their ability to sell parts of their property and impose unexpected costs.
Susie Tommaney told the council that, under the proposed ordinance, "she would not be allowed to sell a portion of her property," and warned the change "could become very costly for the city." Ned Ross handed council a written list of suggestions and said the draft ordinance "does not mention current property owner’s ability to sell a portion of their property," adding that, as drafted, "the current owner of 4 of a block cannot seli a portion of it." The council did not adopt changes at the workshop; instead, members asked staff and the city attorney to consolidate comments for revision.
Councilmembers and outside engineers walked through the draft ordinance paragraph by paragraph. Council discussed recommendations from the contracted engineering firms BEFCO Engineering and Strand Associates about infrastructure protections. Several speakers, including Susan Kiel, urged the council to preserve the historic block-and-lot plats that formed the city in the 1800s, saying those lots "should continue to be used." Pete Horn recommended developing a broader comprehensive plan to guide land-use policy.
City Attorney Bridgette Begle was tasked with taking the public suggestions, council comments and engineers' recommendations into consideration as the ordinance is further developed. The council framed the ordinance as a work in progress intended to protect Burton's small-community character and its water and sewer infrastructure; no formal vote or adoption occurred at the workshop.
The council has not set a date for a revised draft or public hearing; residents who raised concerns said they will continue to monitor the ordinance's development.
