Building owners favor zoning change for Square

Business and building owners around Holton’s Town Square in attendance at a Monday, Dec. 22 meeting of the Holton Planning Commission said they would be in favor of changing the city’s zoning regulations to allow first-floor residential spaces at the back of buildings around the Square, both to help business owners with the cost of maintaining their businesses and alleviating a shortage of housing in the city.

About 30 Holton residents, mostly business owners with the majority of those businesses located around the Square, were in attendance at the planning commission meeting to give their opinions on a proposal to change zoning regulations to allow first-floor residential spaces at the rear of buildings around the Square while preserving the streetscape and character of the Square.

No action was taken by city planners on the proposal during the meeting, with Holton Codes Enforcement Officer Jeff Draper noting that the issue was brought before planners with the intent of “just kind of getting a feel for everybody’s opinions, either for or against.”

But at the next planning commission meeting, which is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 at Holton City Hall, planners will hold a public hearing to consider a change to C-1 (general commercial district, specific to the Square) zoning that would add “private residence” as an allowed use in buildings on the Square with a special use permit, provided that any private residence does not face or front any side of the Square.

A notice on the Jan. 26 hearing, which is open to the public, is printed on Page 11 of this edition of The Holton Recorder.

Draper earlier said the proposal to change the city’s C-1 (general commercial district) zoning, which currently does not allow for first-floor zoning in buildings around the Square was prompted by comments from Holton business owner Carolyn McKee and an email from Holton City Attorney Dennis White, the latter of which was sent to building owners around the Square. 

At the Dec. 22 meeting, Joni White was present to further clarify her husband’s email, noting that the Square has about 60 storefronts with an average of 3,000 square feet of floor space per level, an area that “makes it difficult for small retail tenants to fill that much space with inventory, plus pay utilities on top of that.”

To read the rest of the article, please subscribe to The Holton Recorder.