By Kathy Laird

The Bucyrus City Planning Commission met on Tuesday at 4 p.m. to address two zoning issues.

The Bucyrus Mobile Home Village had asked council to allow them the right to allow recreational vehicles the right to lease lots for long periods of time. City council sent the matter to the platting committee who then referred it to the planning committee for the purposes of declaring stipulations in the zoning.

Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser noted the hard work being done to create better conditions in the park.

“As your neighbor, I see what’s going on there,” Reser said.

Mobile home park manager Dave Tucker explained the intentions of the provision. Pipeline workers need an area to park their RV’s while they live and work in the area.

Bucyrus Mobile Home village has designated 24 specific spots in the park where RV’s will be allowed occupancy. Noting that he has state approval for the RV occupation, he noted that there would be serious monitoring on the sites.

“They are not going to be just anywhere in the park, the will be confined to these spaces,” Tucker said. “And as new manufactured homes come in we will phase these lots out.”

Commission member Al Basinger showed his concerns for how temporary the measure would be. Basinger said he moved to Bucyrus in 1975 and the parks were full, but the decline in occupancy has been steady.

Tucker responded to George Teynor’s concerns about utilities in the park.

“The rent includes water and electricity,” Tucker said. “We have never failed to pay any utility.”

Rob Ratliff advised the committee that residents of the park would be required to pay city income taxes as well.

Reser made sure to clarify the stipulations before the vote. There were two stipulations set forth. The first was the RV must meet the definition of a recreational vehicle as set forth by the state of Ohio. Reser said a definition would be added to the stipulation.

The second was that no permanent or temporary additions to the RV’s, such as decks and porches, would be allowed.

The motion was made and passed. The only no vote came from Al Basinger.

In other zoning news, a dream of opening a haunted Bed N Breakfast died a quick death.

Charla Wurm Adams appealed to the office of John Rostash to establish a bed and breakfast at 508 Kaler Ave. Wurm claims the house in haunted, so she bought it in hopes of repurposing it into a bed and breakfast.

She told Rostash the house is a duplex but the city of Bucyrus records it as a single family home. Rostash said Adams didn’t inquire with his office before the purchase.

“I would have advised her against it. We cannot spot zone a specific area unless is serves a purpose.”

Rostash gave an example of a kidney center and a doctor’s office behind it located on Tiffin Street. The center serves a purpose and therefore qualified for an exception. The bed and breakfast is a private enterprise.

After being asked what would happen if they denied the motion, Rostash indicated it would never make it to a public hearing.

Other concerns expressed were that there were not enough parking spaces and the disturbance to the neighborhood.

“I agree with Mr. Roshtash, this doesn’t make any sense,” Reser said.

With that, a unanimous vote to deny the amendment application was cast.