P&Z Has Routine Meeting

Grove's Planning and Zoning Board took care of routine matters at this week's meeting, including approving, 4-1, amending the ordinances on commercial parking spaces and off-street parking requirements. Voting against the issue was Judith Read.

Mo Parker, Director of Planning for the city, said the revisions were very positive for the business community, which had been using decades old standards for parking space size and requirements.

"We don't need four spaces for a Donut Shop, for example, where people run in and run out, but we do need more spaces for a full sit-down restaurant where people stay in the facility for an hour or more," she said. Parking space dimensions were changed from 9x18 to 10x20 to accommodate the new larger cars and trucks.

The board approved a request from Tractor Works Garden Center to build an addition to the facility, and tabled a lot split request for Patricia Island Estates, Phase Six, from Lot 1 to Lot 1A and Lot1R due to the property owners not being at the meeting.

The Board also approved a request from "Grove Second Saturdays" for temporary use of downtown sidewalks once a month from April to October for sidewalk sale events. This is an outside company to help boost downtown business during the warm weather season.