Planning Commission Recommends 200 sq ft per Person for Apartments

By Emily Votruba

At a special meeting of the Planning Commission held last night at the old Elberta Library, in peaceful coexistence with the regularly scheduled Gilmore Township Planning Commission meeting, commission members voted to recommend that an occupancy requirement of a minimum of 200 square feet per person be added to the zoning ordinance for all future apartments. This minimum does not supersede the 165 sq ft/person rate the Village Council stipulated for Loy Putney's Bay Valley apartments at their special meeting July 9.

"This is something we have to consider for projects in the future, so we consulted the experts," said commission secretary Kelli Stapleton via phone this morning.

The commission came to this figure after consulting with planning specialist Kathleen Egan (see her letter below) and discussing research done by Linda Manville and Marcia Stobie on other apartment occupancy rates in the region (see below).

A public hearing on this zoning ordinance amendment will be held, date TBA, and then it will be presented to council for approval.