Staff: property across from water plant needs drainage plan and likely rezoning; city responsible for right‑of‑way trees

Staff reported to the council that the property on Quincy across from the water plant appears occupied and that borings are scheduled to begin next Monday. The parcel is currently zoned R3 and does not meet the lot-size requirements for the intended use; staff said the owner would need to pursue rezoning before a commercial building could be placed there and must provide a drainage plan before building activity proceeds.

A staff member said inspection activity noted cars on the driveway and that the owner had been told not to build until drainage requirements are met. Mayor and staff discussed the timeline and noted the parcel will require review if rezoning is requested.

On a related neighborhood-maintenance matter, staff said the city ordinance assigns responsibility for trees located within the public right‑of‑way to the city and that the ordinance requires the city to give adequate notice to adjacent property owners before removal. Staff said the tree at issue had previously damaged a homeowner’s property and that further action to remove or address it was under consideration.

No formal zoning or tree‑removal action was taken during the meeting; staff said they will continue to monitor the situation and follow ordinance procedures.