OWENSVILLE — John Paul and Nancy Quick on Thursday received unanimous approval for a zoning variance from the Owensville Board of Adjustment which will allow them to move three railroad cabooses onto land they own along North Second Street for planned short-term rental facilities.

The 50-minute hearing on Nov. 2 was open to the public and several neighbors addressed the adjustment board with questions about Quick’s plan to have three rail cars set and secured to sections of track. All three units will be available for short-term rentals. A box car unit was also expected to be placed on the site and will be used for storage, John Paul Quick told those gathered for the hearing at City Hall.

Quick’s request to the adjustment board followed a prior rejection from the city when his application for a building permit was denied. There is no current zoning for short-term rental facilities in the area he wants to develop. The variance he sought was for land usage and allowing for buildings under the minimum square footage required for rental properties (800 square foot for single residency), according to Travis Hernandez, the city’s contracted engineer with Archer-Elgin.

Zoning of the site will be required at a later date.

He explained the area the Quicks want to develop is adjacent to zoned areas including Old Town and Old Town Commercial which do allow for short-term rental properties. The railbed for the former Rock Island railroad separates the Quick property from those zoning districts found along the north end of First Street.

The railroad site is adjacent to the OT and OTC zones and will meet the city’s off-street parking requirement. The variance will allow the 10-foot-by-50-foot structures although they are below the minimum square footage required.

Short-term rentals, Hernadez told the audience, limits overnight occupancy to not more than 28 consecutive days and not more than five bedrooms. These facilities are also allowed in C-1 (Commercial) and C-2 (Highway Commercial) zoning districts.

The Quick’s site between Marvin and McFadden along North Second adjoins the Missouri State Parks easement for the proposed Rock Island trail to be constructed through town.

Quick explained he owns the land beside the trail but State Parks has easements to go through the property with the proposed trail.

Since the site currently does not fall under a city zoning code, it will now need to be zoned, according to City Clerk Peggy Farrell.

“It never has been zoned,” Farrell explained. “It was railroad owned. There was no category to establish for zoning. It will need a total new zoning.”

That task will fall back on Planning and Zoning Commissioners eventually as issues such as set backs will be to be established in these often narrow tracts of land. “It will need a whole new classification,” said Farrell.

At the city’s Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday, Farrell told the elected officials the zoning issue will need to be defined for the Quick’s property since the lots do not meet any setback requirements.

Farrell read a brief finding of facts into the record at the conclusion of the hearing Thursday. A court reporter’s transcript of the proceedings will also be included in the final record.

Board of Adjustment members participating in the hearing included Carl Smith, chairman, Wayne Kemper, John Hoffman, Robert Huesgen, Jr., and Kenton Bohl.

The “Written Findings of Fact Letter”  from the Nov. 2 meeting stated:

“The Former Railroad property along N Second St between Marvin & McFadden Ave.

“The Board of Adjustment members agreed to allow the requested improvements for three (3) railcar cabooses converted into short term rentals along the Rock Island Trail.

“Roll Call Vote:  Aye: Carl Smith, Kenton Bohl, Wayne Kemper, John Hoffman, Bob Huesgen Jr.

“A motion was made by Carl Smith and seconded by John Hoffman to approve the written Findings of Fact. The motion carried.”