HUMBOLDT — After more than a year of meetings, including some public hearings that become contentious, Humboldt Planning Commission members Wednesday evening approved a comprehensive plan for the city.
Changes that have evolved during the process mainly were to strike altogether any mention of annexation or extra-territorial zoning. City Administrator Larry Tucker went through the plan to make it clear what was omitted.
The plan is now in place and needs no further approval from city council members, Tucker said.
“As watered down as it is, this still gives city staff guidance for growth,” he said, repeating for the umpteenth time what he and City Attorney Fred Works have said all along, that the comprehensive plan only is an instrument to give staff and potential developers a blueprint for how growth might occur.
The plan identifies roads leading from Humboldt where utility lines might be laid and has estimates, based on 2011 figures, of what it might cost to extend utilities.
If a developer comes to town, he would want to know how the city proposes to expand, Tucker opined.
Also, he said the plan would give city council members some guidance when preparing budgets. The plan proposes that the city set aside money in a reserve account to meet expenses if it were asked to extend utilities lines for development.
Commission members voted unanimously to approve the plan and also established a review each March.
Also approved was vacation of a platted alley behind the home of Clint and Alisha Hillmon, 1316 Pecan St., so they may build a patio and deck. Clint Hillmon, a commission member, abstained when the vote was made.
TUCKER took advantage of the public gathering to report Pinecrest Nursing Home, 1020 Pine St., closed earlier this year, might reopen.
Humboldt’s Housing Action Team is considering it for housing, and there have been inquiries about it being reopened as a nursing center or for some sort of business, “maybe a mini mall,” Tucker said.
“I walked through it and it is in good repair,” he said. “The city is trying to work with some local people” to locate something in the structure, which contains about 6,000 square feet of floor space.
Tucker added its out-of-state owner was interested in selling the building.
