BC sets deadlines, options

Bridge City

council members, anxious to clear out the town's remaining temporary

housing units, while not unsympathetic to special cases, decided in a

Tuesday workshop to send out letters to some 200 residents.

Residents

will have up to Sept. 30 as the maximum allowable amount of time, said

City Manager Jerry Jones. Cases will be reviewed each 30 days.

If

they aren't making progress their case will not be renewed, but as long

it's clear work is being done they will be granted another 30 days, he

said.

"We aren't trying to hurt anyone," he said. "But it's time to start moving again."

Mayor Kirk Roccaforte added, "At some point we have to get back to 'being Bridge City.'"

A clause in the city's zoning ordinance allows "hardship" cases to apply for a one-year variance after Sept. 30.

Those might include people with health problems, or some with money taken by shady contractors.

City

officials are aware of those and will work with residents, they said,

however, "hardships" do not constitute the majority of cases.

Variances

are required to go through the town's board of adjustment, and

residents living within 500 feet of the property in question will be

notified and have the option to oppose the request.

About 283

letters were recently sent to residents who still may need extensions,

or have issues. A significant number came back saying they could comply

with the guidelines, whittling the figure down to 218; and Jones said

he expected that to drop by 10 or 20 within the next month. 

There were 66 residents who did not respond.

"The 66 people who did not put in a request will have 30 days to move those trailers," he said.

For more information, call Jones' office at 735-6801.