City planner presents five topics for Bridgeport Council consideration

BRIDGEPORT – City contract planner Kurt Danison addressed the Bridgeport City Council at its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 20, to discuss results of recent Planning Commission meetings.

“Once each year we open up the comprehensive plan and zoning code for input from the community, members of council staff, or whomever because we’re only allowed to amend these codes once a year,” said city contract planner Kurt Danison. “We started last December and let the community know that we were starting this process.”

Danison said the Planning Commission received no input, letters, or attendance at the two meetings held but that the Commission came up with five items, some of which have been discussed for a number of years. Those items include a Trails Plan, Community Revitalization Plan, Ag Overlay, RV Dwelling, Mobile Vendors

1. Trails Plan – The city does not have a trails plan, said Danison but it does have some “rudimentary pedestrian planning” while the PUD has done limited trails planning. Danison said the Commission seeks direction if the city wants to pursue a trails plan.

2. Community Revitalization Plan – Danison narrated a slide show presentation explaining how a revitalization plan could benefit Bridgeport that has a legacy of shuttered businesses, abandoned commercial buildings, and deteriorating housing. He highlighted two programs, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB).

CDBG funds target projects aimed at mainly low and moderate-income activities while CERB provides funding to study high-priority economic development, rural broadband, and related projects.
Danison used the State Route 173 corridor running through downtown Bridgeport as an example of a community revitalization project for the city.

3. Ag Overlay – This would allow commercial agriculture within the city limits under certain conditions in certain residentially zoned areas. Danison said city attorney Julie Norton found a number of flaws in the Commission’s proposal so the Commission elected not to make any recommendations to the city council last year but wanted to know if the council was interested in pursuing the matter this year.

4. RV Dwelling – Owing to the shortage of housing, Danison said more and more people are living in RVs which are neither intended to nor constructed for any kind of code that allow them to be used as full-time residences.

“Our code really doesn’t have anything to say about it,” Danison said and added that if council was interested, the Commission would investigate regulations and make proposals regarding parking, enforcement and other factors.

5. Mobile Vendors – Danison said the city does not have any current regulations that address a situation where a mobile vendor comes into town and sets up shop. He suggested some considerations might include obtaining a business license, a health inspection permit for food sales, water and sewer connections, and related concerns.

Of the five topics discussed Danison confined most of his presentation to the benefits of a community revitalization plan and the options to help the city address its commercial and residential potential.