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Mesquite Community Appearance manual discussed
By Kenny Green, kgreen@starlocalnews.com
The Mesquite City Council discussed the effects the city’s community appearance manual has on development in its industrial areas during its pre-meeting on Monday, Dec. 17.
Several members of their council voiced concerns as to whether some requirements in the manual increased the cost of development too much and drove business away.
Councilman Greg Noschese inquired about the additional costs that a developer may incur to be in compliance with the manual.
Councilman Dennis Tarpley echoed the concerns of Noschese.
“I don’t want the [community appearance manual] to cause us to lose businesses or prevent businesses from coming,” Tarpley said.
“I can’t bite off that the [community appearance manual] is driving businesses away,” said Richard Gertson, director of community development.
Gertson discussed the city’s use of the community appearance manual to regulate businesses in the industrial areas. He said that buildings must meet certain principles in the manual to be compliant.
“The council [at the time it was approved] felt it was important for the primary façade to meet certain principles,” Gertson said. “The secondary facades can be wrapped with similar materials.”
The manual was created at the suggestion of two members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Tony Apel and Richard Allen, both of whom are architects.
“They were the driving forces behind it. Tony took the model from another city and we adopted it for our use,” Gertson said.
The manual has a few allowable exceptions that must be approved by the director of community development. These exceptions allow the director of community development to wave some of the masonry requirements on the façade.
“In industrial districts they may use concrete tilt wall. It’s the cheapest way to construct a building other than metal,” Gertson said. “Concrete tilt wall will not be allowed in retail areas.”
For a business to request an exception to the requirements it is filtered through the case worker to Gertson.
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