DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The Planning Commission has adopted new rules when it comes to open-sided carports making their installation more user friendly.

The concern, according to the recommendation to change the rule, is that a driveway is allowed to be installed two feet off the property line but an open-sided carport must be 10 feet off the property line. The carport must also be separated 10 feet from the house or other structures.

“This can create some difficulty as a carport is intended to be used being placed on the driveway next to the home,” Director of Planning and Development Samuel Luthi explained. “This is a point of contention I have gotten from many of our residents.”

Under present rules, the required placement of open-sided carports nullify the intent and purpose of having a carport in the first place. “The whole idea of a carport is to be able to access your car from your home underneath a cover,” Luthi noted.

Under the new plan, open-sided carports would be exempt from the 10-foot separation rule and from the setback requirements.

The Planning Commission passed the new rule unanimously.