Planning commission takes no action on proposed walking trail
The Hillsboro Planning and Development Commission took no action on the linear park issue at their meeting last Thursday, tabling the issue at the suggestion of city administrator Steve Garrett.
While problems of ownership still surround the land in question, according to Garrett, there is an ownership because property tax is charged to and paid by Central Kansas Conservancy. Still, no one really seems to have a clear understanding of who owns the property.
"The railroad right of way is a special animal," said John Riggs, planning and zoning consultant. "There is an ownership."
Even though both Garrett and Riggs said there is an ownership, they advised the commission to hold action until the city can determine a clear ownership.
And Garrett sees the issue as a moot point for this year because of the lack of funds.
"We don't have enough information about the ownership, and the issue is also changing. And we have no funds for a linear park," he said.
The city maintains the area now and will continue to do so, said Garrett.
Most of the commission's time was spent discussing the placing of manufactured homes in Hillsboro, the zoning regulations already in place, and possible changes to existing zoning regulations.
Riggs said the zoning regulations need "definitional changes" and improvements. Any zoning changes would have to be approved by the city council. Riggs suggested members of the commission visit Deerfield Place, a manufactured home subdivision in southeast McPherson, to see what today's manufactured housing looks like.
Riggs then tied the manufactured home issue to a survey due out this fall for Hillsboro residents.
"The information we need to make some changes in the zoning regulations will come out of the survey," Riggs said. "I think you'll find a need for low-end affordable house in Hillsboro. The survey is important."
The purpose of the community opinion survey is to identify ways and means to maintain the community as a pleasant and rewarding place to live and work. Questions deal with rating the community as a place to live, for services and amenities, and appearance. The survey is tied to the manufactured housing issue with a series of questions about available adequate housing and allowing manufactured housing in residential areas.
Other questions on the survey deal with economic conditions, health care, shopping facilities, recreation, and suggestions for improvements. The planning commission hopes to distribute the survey this fall. The commission has already established a major stockholders list, people who will receive the survey, and discussed basic parameters for the community.
Riggs went on to say that with the current housing market in Hillsboro, the city could not house people moving to town for any start-up industry. That would be one advantage of having manufactured homes in neighborhoods in the city — they are affordable.
ufactured homes today, according to Riggs, are high-grade with pitched roofs and siding. They must be on foundations and must meet specific qualifications. Riggs will bring sample zoning regulations from other communities regarding manufactured housing to the next meeting.
He will also make suggested changes to finalize the community opinion survey by the next meeting.
The next meeting will be Aug. 29.
