Help!!

[strider]

Strider: Ms. Pitman is not attempting to skirt the law.  If she was, you wouldn't even know about this.  She has made the proper and legal applications for an exception as allowed by the Springfield overlay.

OK, so I have to admitt I was wrong.  I was caught up in the Hub Bub about a group care home and incorrectly assumed that an application would have to be for an exception and so the house was zoned CRO-S.  It isn't, this area on Boulevard is zoned RMD-S and so no exception is needed.  A low density group care home is a permissible use in RMD-S.

4.   COA-09-388   1541 Boulevard   Springfield
   Applicant:   Ju’Coby  Pittman      Request: Fire Alarm System
   Owner:   same     
   Recommendation:   Approve with Conditions     
   Commission Action: 

It does seem odd that as fire alarms would normally only require interior work that this would have to be taken before the commission.  Perhaps there are accessability items also included in this COA that could be seen from the street.  This COA would of course only be judged on the physical suitability and not use.

[jbroadglide]

Call Charlie Wilson with the COJ Municipal Code Compliance office at 255-7049

[fatcat]

It is far less likely that someone who doesn't carry a weapon will shoot me.  You might not have a reason to use it against me but what if you feel you have to use it around me.  I would be just as dead.  There is no guarantee that when you're trying to defend yourself or trying to stop someone else that you won't miss or your bullet will not pass through your target or through a wall and hit me or someone else.  Frankly, people carrying weapons frighten me. 

If you are hold by a knife, would you want to defend yourself or hope someone can defend you? How often people are shot by properly licensed and trained people? How often people are victimized because they lack of means of defending themselves? I am properly permit and trained and carry a Sig. With the amount of group homes coming to my hood, I feel the need to carry it even stronger so I can protect my loved ones, my property and my dog.

[strider]

Yeah! Just double checked. Our home is RMD-S too!!!!  (where is the best place to look up what you can do with RMD-S (Residential Medium Density - Springfield)

First go to COJ.net and go to the planning & Developement department, to current planning, then to zoning code (on the left), which takes you to municode. Search for Springfield, which will direct you to the overlay. Then look up what is permissible in RMD-S.

[zoo]

(d)   Special uses.  Special uses include residential treatment facilities, rooming houses, emergency shelter homes, group care homes, and community residential homes of over six residents. New special uses are not allowed in the district and existing special uses must conform to the standards set forth in Section 656.369.

[Deuce]

So strider is showing that the zoning density allows for the use, but zoo has specifically shown from the code that new uses are verboten. Zoo, is that from the overlay or is it a separate section of the code.

[Karl_Pilkington]

"not allowed" with the caveat that one can get an OK from the city if one shows a good heart and willingness to help the misfortunate.

I would also add that this city's enforcement of its "code" is shotty at best, so movedsouth roll the dice... might make enough to get your mortgage paid and have some left over for that weekly dinner at the Capital Grille.  If you do get fined just let the fines roll up nothing ever happens anyway.

[mtraininjax]

Man, some people know how to beat a dead horse beyond submission. Call 630-CITY (2489) and file a complaint with code enforcement. Get the ticket registered, then track it through the system. Council people are good too, but they are bit busy with taxes right now. The CITY system works well, especially with Code Enforcement.

[Dog Walker]

Man, some people know how to beat a dead horse beyond submission. Call 630-CITY (2489) and file a complaint with code enforcement. Get the ticket registered, then track it through the system. Council people are good too, but they are bit busy with taxes right now. The CITY system works well, especially with Code Enforcement.

I also have found the code enforcement people to be very responsive, but they will only respond to a complaint ticket.  Their job performance is rated on their ticket closure rate and they seldom to never start their own tickets.  If no one complains with a ticket, nothing happens. 

You can file them through the City system or online and track them online as well.

[strider]

(d)   Special uses.  Special uses include residential treatment facilities, rooming houses, emergency shelter homes, group care homes, and community residential homes of over six residents. New special uses are not allowed in the district and existing special uses must conform to the standards set forth in Section 656.369.

This is because a low density group care home is not a special use under the overlay. Read your quote above, Zoo.  It states in part: group care homes, and community residential homes of over six residents. A low density (6 or fewer) legal group care home is allowed in RMD-s or actually even under the normal codes without the overlay.

In some zoning codes, even higher density group care homes are allowed by exception.  Of course, the density levels today are lower than they were when most of the actual special uses were opened and licensed.

[jbroadglide]

>>I also have found the code enforcement people to be very responsive, but they will only respond to a complaint ticket.  Their job performance is rated on their ticket closure rate and they seldom to never start their own tickets.  If no one complains with a ticket, nothing happens.<< 

Dog Walker I have to respectfully disagree with you on this point. Because I know for a fact that from Oct 1 2008 to 1 June 2009, Property Safety Code Enforcement Officers generated 44.9% of the total number of cases that they investigated.  Their job performance is based on how many inspections they do per day, not how many cases they close.  Now there are other Code Enforcement officers in COJ. Building Code Enforcement. Animal Code Enforcement. You may be speaking about one of those agencies. But not Property safety.

[Dog Walker]

Jbroad, you are correct.  I was speaking of building code only.  In any case it wasn't criticism on my part, just repeating what I was told by a building code person.  Frankly I think that all of those departments are doing a decent job with limited resources.

[jbroadglide]

dw..Building Code Inspectors are measured by how many cases they close? That doesn't seem like a real good measurement to me, since all it would take is for an inspector to just say "the heck with it" and approve or disapprove something and close the case. But thats just me.

[strider]

Strider knows that we see eye to eye on most issues, and Zoo knows that we often disagree with each other.

But in this case, on the code side, I have to agree with Zoo.   New group homes were specifically not permitted in the springfield overlay

Stephen, wanna make a bet as to who is right and who isn't on this one?  (Before you take that bet, go read the ordinance at municode---or just read what has been posted by ZOO & I both - it sort of says it all.)

[Sportmotor]

It is far less likely that someone who doesn't carry a weapon will shoot me.  You might not have a reason to use it against me but what if you feel you have to use it around me.  I would be just as dead.  There is no guarantee that when you're trying to defend yourself or trying to stop someone else that you won't miss or your bullet will not pass through your target or through a wall and hit me or someone else.  Frankly, people carrying weapons frighten me. 

Most people who carry are typically more likely to not ever use a weapon. I carry becuase I have to and have instances while carrying where it has saved my life. People who register to carry shouldnt firighten you, its those who dont that should.