The Grand Island, Neb., Regional Planning Commission recommended stiffer regulations for Grand Island salvage yards than those proposed in changes brought by the City Attorney's Office.
Charlie Cuypers, City Attorney, said the newly proposed regulations include the following: installing a fence at least eight feet high that would totally surround the property; restricting the stacking of automobiles no higher than eight feet within 50 feet of the fence; and adequate storage and collection capabilities for any company handling hazardous or more environmentally sensitive material such as liquids.
The recommendations will be forwarded to the Grand Island City Council where a vote at the next council meeting, slated for Aug. 27, will be made on whether or not to approve the regulations.
Cuypers notes that most of these regulations are not much more difficult than existing regulations that scrap yards are required to operate under. As for the fencing issue, the move is a change from an earlier policy whereby a scrap company was mandated to have a fence only on the sides facing the public. An additional change in the fencing policy is the requirement that all fencing must be made from “conventional fencing material all the way around the yard,” Cuypers says.
Also, the companies that are seeing the changed regulations are required to have an annual inspection to keep their conditional use permit up to date.
On a more ominous note, Cuypers says at the present time he estimates that maybe two of the 8-12 companies falling under the new regulations would pass right now. These, he says, have businesses that run fairly well.
While Cuypers feels that the new regulations are not too onerous, he said that if the City Council passes
Both the salvage yard regulations and storage unit zoning change will be forwarded as recommendations to the Grand Island City Council when the council meets Aug. 27.
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