Planning Commission votes for special use permit for residential

        The Oregon Planning Commission recently voted 5-0 to allow a Special Use for single family residential use in a commercially zoned district at 4135 Navarre Ave.
        The applicant and owner is Robert Taylor.
        James Gilmore, commissioner of building and zoning, said there presently is a building on the property that looks like a house but operates as a business in a C-1 zoned district. The current owners want to sell the building and use it as residential for new buyers.
        “In order to do that, they would have to have a Special Use permit or a zoning change. A Special Use permit would be best because eventually the property would become used as commercial in the future,” said Gilmore.
        Gilmore said there was a house next door still being used as residential, which is a legal non-conforming use.
        “This particular property lost its legal non-conforming status when it was changed over to commercial back in the early part of 2000,” said Gilmore.
        The location at 4135 Navarre Ave. is located in the second lot in from the bank on the corner across from Pearson Park, according to Planning Commission Chairman Scott Winckowski.
       
Property on market
        Jim Loss of Loss Realty Group, who represents Taylor, stated the property had been on the market for a year and a half. When Taylor purchased the property 10 years ago, it was a single family use.
        “The problem we have run into is the size of the structure and the lot has made it difficult for Taylor to get the money back out of his investment,” said Loss.
        Loss said it was felt Taylor would have a much better opportunity to get a reasonable price with the Special Use permit and then later down the road, if it needs to go back to commercial, it would be easy to do.
        “He (Taylor) is in a situation where he needs to sell it. He has a much better chance with a single-family sale,” said Loss.
        “Just for the record,” said Mayor Mike Seferian, who has a seat on the commission, “it’s easier than you think because you never lose the commercial status. So, you will always have that. You just gain the ability to reside in it as a residential use.”
        There is presently nobody occupying the residence, said Taylor.
       
No issues
        Winckowski said the Project Review Committee, consisting of the city administrator, the public service director, the deputy engineer, the deputy finance director and the commissioner of building and zoning, met. Their opinion was the committee does not anticipate any negative effects to the neighbors by allowing residential use in the existing structure.
        Also at the meeting, commission members nominated Winckowski to remain commission chairman. Members also nominated Assistant Chairman Yussef Olive to remain as assistant chairman.