Planning Commission
(St. Marys Planning Commission) Chapter 18, Article 1, Section 18-101 of the St. Marys City Code created the St. Marys Planning Commission (as provided for and authorized by K.S.A. 12-741 et seq. as amended). The regulations pertaining to the Commission are included in the St. Marys Unified Development Code, as amended. (ORD. 653, Sec. 1; ORD. 1182)
The Planning Commission consists of eight regular voting members, each of which are appointed for a three year term, unless they were appointed to fill a vacancy. Three (3) members of the Planning Commission shall reside in the Extraterritorial Zone (E.T.Z.), with the remaining members required to reside within the city, or own real estate within the city.
The Planning Commission meets the 4th Monday of every month (and on the 2nd Monday as needed) at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall in St. Marys.
Brief history of the city's Planning Commission and its Extraterritorial Zone (ETZ):
At the September 8, 1959 City Commission meeting Charles West, of the Topeka based engineering firm of Bartlett & West, suggested that the City consider adopting a zoning ordinance, “particularly to protect the area surrounding the city.” The following year a committee from the Chamber of Commerce attended a city commission meeting to discuss the possibility of adopting a zoning ordinance, since Pottawatomie County was considering such a proposal. No action would be taken however, until a Planning Commission was created on November 4, 1963 (Ord. 653), with zoning regulations adopted the next month (Ord 654).
The original planning commission consisted of seven taxpayers, two of whom had to reside outside of the City, but within three miles of the City, whereas the remaining five had to be residents of the City. The original zoning code was a twenty-six-page document that consisted of 78 definitions splayed over five pages, divided the city into nine zones (districts), and addressed issues such as setbacks (referred to as yards), the size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of a lot that may be covered, as well as the location and use of buildings and land. As part of the ordinance a five-member Board of Zoning Appeals was created to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged that there is any error in a determination made by the Building Inspector in the enforcement of the zoning regulations. Fire Chief Leo C. Stenger had been appointed as the City’s first Building Inspector, starting that position in February of 1957. A Building Inspector was needed since the National Building Code had been recently adopted to help facilitate the City’s retention of a 6th class rating for fire insurance.
In 1979, the City Commission discussed requesting extraterritorial jurisdiction from Pottawatomie County for land outside of the City. The statute allowed up to a three-mile planning area, with some caveats, but the City Commission was only interested in a one-mile planning area. The matter was tabled and it did not resurface in the City Commission meeting minutes until 1986. The following year, as per KSA 12-715B, Pottawatomie County granted the City control over an “Extraterritorial Area,” created by Ordinance No. 880. In addition, the ordinance created a joint subdivision committee, or “Extraterritorial Board” that was comprised of three of the City’s planning commissioners, three members of the Pottawatomie County planning commission, and one member was selected by the Extraterritorial Board.
By 1993, none of the county planning commission commissioners wanted to serve on the Extraterritorial Board; therefore, getting a quorum would prove difficult. Since the City had a plat in the extraterritorial area that needed addressing, the city clerk and the county zoning administrator felt that the easiest solution was to make the City's Planning Commission the governing body for the extraterritorial zone. This is allowed under KSA 12-715B since the City's Planning Commission had enough of its members from the extraterritorial area. The City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 1014, which amended its agreement with Pottawatomie County, and from there on the City of St. Marys had control of the area now referred to as the Extraterritorial Zone (ETZ). The City’s ETZ was enlarged in 1996. In July of 2003, the City adopted an ordinance to address the Planning Commission’s membership. The following language was adopted, “The Planning Commission shall consist of eight (8) members, three of whom shall reside outside the City of St. Marys but within the established extraterritorial zoning (ETZ) area to the City of St. Marys. The remaining members shall be persons who own real estate located within the corporate city limits of the City of St. Marys.”
The Planning Commission consists of eight regular voting members, each of which are appointed for a three year term, unless they were appointed to fill a vacancy. Three (3) members of the Planning Commission shall reside in the Extraterritorial Zone (E.T.Z.), with the remaining members required to reside within the city, or own real estate within the city.
The Planning Commission meets the 4th Monday of every month (and on the 2nd Monday as needed) at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall in St. Marys.
Brief history of the city's Planning Commission and its Extraterritorial Zone (ETZ):
At the September 8, 1959 City Commission meeting Charles West, of the Topeka based engineering firm of Bartlett & West, suggested that the City consider adopting a zoning ordinance, “particularly to protect the area surrounding the city.” The following year a committee from the Chamber of Commerce attended a city commission meeting to discuss the possibility of adopting a zoning ordinance, since Pottawatomie County was considering such a proposal. No action would be taken however, until a Planning Commission was created on November 4, 1963 (Ord. 653), with zoning regulations adopted the next month (Ord 654).
The original planning commission consisted of seven taxpayers, two of whom had to reside outside of the City, but within three miles of the City, whereas the remaining five had to be residents of the City. The original zoning code was a twenty-six-page document that consisted of 78 definitions splayed over five pages, divided the city into nine zones (districts), and addressed issues such as setbacks (referred to as yards), the size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of a lot that may be covered, as well as the location and use of buildings and land. As part of the ordinance a five-member Board of Zoning Appeals was created to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged that there is any error in a determination made by the Building Inspector in the enforcement of the zoning regulations. Fire Chief Leo C. Stenger had been appointed as the City’s first Building Inspector, starting that position in February of 1957. A Building Inspector was needed since the National Building Code had been recently adopted to help facilitate the City’s retention of a 6th class rating for fire insurance.
In 1979, the City Commission discussed requesting extraterritorial jurisdiction from Pottawatomie County for land outside of the City. The statute allowed up to a three-mile planning area, with some caveats, but the City Commission was only interested in a one-mile planning area. The matter was tabled and it did not resurface in the City Commission meeting minutes until 1986. The following year, as per KSA 12-715B, Pottawatomie County granted the City control over an “Extraterritorial Area,” created by Ordinance No. 880. In addition, the ordinance created a joint subdivision committee, or “Extraterritorial Board” that was comprised of three of the City’s planning commissioners, three members of the Pottawatomie County planning commission, and one member was selected by the Extraterritorial Board.
By 1993, none of the county planning commission commissioners wanted to serve on the Extraterritorial Board; therefore, getting a quorum would prove difficult. Since the City had a plat in the extraterritorial area that needed addressing, the city clerk and the county zoning administrator felt that the easiest solution was to make the City's Planning Commission the governing body for the extraterritorial zone. This is allowed under KSA 12-715B since the City's Planning Commission had enough of its members from the extraterritorial area. The City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 1014, which amended its agreement with Pottawatomie County, and from there on the City of St. Marys had control of the area now referred to as the Extraterritorial Zone (ETZ). The City’s ETZ was enlarged in 1996. In July of 2003, the City adopted an ordinance to address the Planning Commission’s membership. The following language was adopted, “The Planning Commission shall consist of eight (8) members, three of whom shall reside outside the City of St. Marys but within the established extraterritorial zoning (ETZ) area to the City of St. Marys. The remaining members shall be persons who own real estate located within the corporate city limits of the City of St. Marys.”
