Log deck ordinance fails
Interim housing set to come back next month
The Paradise Town Council voted 3-2, to approve an emergency ordinance allowing wood processing yards, like log decks, gain a temporary land use in certain zones, to assist private fire- damaged tree removal, subject to a temporary use permit when associated with Camp Fire recovery efforts for the duration of the urgency ordinance.
Despi t e that vote, the ordinance failed because it needed a 4-1 vote. Both Vice Mayor Jody Jones and Councilor Greg Bolin voted against the change arguing that it was unnecessary and that the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services wouldn’t use the local sites due to contractual obligations that it already had.
W hile councilors Steve “Woody “Culleton and Rose Tryon argued that it was better to have the ordinance in place in the event that “back 40” trees come online.
Mayor Steve Crowder voted in favor of the ordinance saying that if nobody applied for the temporary use permit by the Dec. 31, 2021, no harm would be done.
In 2020, the town allowed three temporary use permits for temporary log storage/processing yards to accommodate the private hazard tree removal program — one across from the post office on Clark Road, one on the upper Skyway near the Skyway/Clark intersection, and one on lower Clark Road below the PG&E staging yard.
That Clark Road operation closed up because the owner of that property didn’t have any place to take the wood chips to.
Jones did say that she would be willing to consider the ordinance at a later date it was needed.
Housing urgency
The council voted unanimously to bring back the interim housing urgency ordinance in May, which allows Camp Fire victims who are living on their property in an RV to have a temporary use permit.
The council will consider, at that time, to discontinue issuing new temporary use permits and consider a date that would force those living there to either start the building process or vacate the property.
Currently, the ordinance says that those who are living on their property with a temporary use permit have until June 30 to at least show that they are making progress towards a permanent housing structure on their property.
If they can demonstrate that, then their temporary use permit can be extended until Dec. 31. However, staff says that many people living in their RV with temporary use permits are waiting on their PG& E settlement funds before making a decision.
However staff and council said that it’s unlikely that those residents will know by June 30 what the settlement
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money looks like, but Kate Anderson noted that victims will be getting 30 percent of their money would give them more clarity on their future.
So the staff recommended, with the support of councilors Culleton and Tryon, that the town extend that deadline to the Dec. 31, however Bolin didn’t like the idea of asking people to leave their property during Christmas time.
He pointed out that in that time of year the council would likely extend it because they have a heart, which is exactly what Jones said she wanted to avoid, saying she didn’t want to kick the can down the road any longer.
Bolin offered the idea of extending the deadline to Sept. 30 instead of Dec. 31 and Culleton offered April 1, 2022, but that didn’t seem to have the support of Crowder or Bolin. Staff will bring back a recommendation in May and will need a 4-1 vote to change.