The Owensville Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Monday recommended to the Board of Aldermen three revisions to city zoning codes which will be discussed at a public hearing Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at the City Hall.

The first item relates to application fees. While site plan review currently has no fee, the proposed fee is $100. The new proposed rate for conditional use permits, if approved, will rise from $100 to $200. Fees for appeals to the Board of Adjustment and variance applications would rise to $500 from $300.

The second item defines access requirements for ingress and egress. Two additions are proposed. The first proposal is that all multi-family and commercial developments shall have direct access to a public street.

Discussions between Mayor Kevin McFadden and Board Chairman Tom Lahmeyer hinted at adding verbiage that changed the wording from “public street” to “public street and/or highway frontage.” However, (P&Z) Board Recording Secretary Christine Thompson informed The Republican on Tuesday that this verbiage is not needed, per her conversation with City Clerk Peggy Farrell, as the definition for a public street is “a public way such as a road, highway or alley managed by government authority open to public travel and maintained using a public fund.

Second under this item was the requirement that no new multi-family or commercial developments shall be approved if primary access is via an easement across property belonging to another person.

The last requirement is that public hearings will only be held at the Board of Aldermen level with P&Z making recommendations only — a topic that was previously brought up in a regular city meeting.

The motion to approve the recommendation to the Board of Aldermen was made by Board Secretary Patrick Leslie, seconded by member Pat Sexton and passed unanimously.