PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
NEW OWNER … The overgrown Airport Highway property formerly intended to be the new location for the Swanton Wendy’s — and will now become home to a similar business — will soon be mowed by its new owner, according to Village Administrator Shannon Shulters.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Proposed changes to an ordinance regulating the storage of seasonal vehicles on residential properties is headed back to the Swanton Village Council after the Swanton Planning Commission approved another slate of changes at its meeting Monday evening.
The changes are aimed at preventing residents from using recreational vehicles and campers as permanent living spaces or otherwise storing those and other seasonal vehicles such as boats in a way that causes a nuisance to the neighborhood.
A version of the changes was already discussed by council but turned down and sent back to the commission for further review due to concerns that it was overstepping the authority of the village.
The new version more narrowly and explicitly addresses the goal of the changes, for example, barring campers and RVs from being hooked up to sewer service but allowing water hookup for preparatory purposes.
Commission member and Councilman Noah Kreuz said he was happy with the new version.
“It’s definitely more in tune with what I had in mind for the ordinance, I think what most of council would have in mind as far as having better verbage and descriptions of what we are going to allow, what we’re not going to allow and also help with the issues of people who are keeping things on their lots when they shouldn’t be while still allowing people to live a lifestyle that they’d like to,” Kreuz said.
Commission members also moved on to the council proposed changes to village ordinances regulating “peddlers, solicitors, transient merchants, and door-to-door commercial sales.”
The changes are being pursued in order to remedy contradictions in the ordinances as to what is and is not allowed, and came in response to complaints from residents.
They will now bar soliciting of village residents with the exception of school fundraisers, scout troops, clubs and the like.
Village Administrator Shannon Shulters reported on the unmowed property on Airport Highway initially planned to be the new Wendy’s location.
According to Shulters, the property has been sold and will be home to a “like business” to Wendy’s, although she was unaware what exact business.
She said the new owner agreed to take care of the overgrowth and also to pay the outstanding bill for the village mowing the property while it was still controlled by the former owner.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Planning Commission is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, at The Venue on Main, 124 N. Main Street.
