<b>By Christin Coyne</b><br><a href="mailto:ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com">ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com</a>
The Mineral Wells Planning and Zoning Commission commended a new strategy being used by the Inspections and Code Enforcement Department to clean up the city.
Building Official Robert Turk told the commission they recently began targeting their enforcement of junk vehicles and unsightly properties in portions of the city.
After talking with City Manager Lance Howerton, code enforcement “developed a plan to do a sweep over certain areas of the city … and do a section at a time,” Turk said. “We just started.”
In October, the city dealt with 133 junk vehicles and 117 unsightly properties. According to activity reports, the city pursued six junk vehicles and 111 unsightly properties in August and nine junk vehicles and 46 unsightly properties in September.
The sweep between U.S. Highway 180 and Municipal Highway 379 between South Oak Avenue and S.E. 14th Avenue began late in October, bringing the numbers up considerably.
“I think that’s the best plan you all have come up with,” Commission member Richard Ball said.
“On junk vehicles we’re really pushing it through,” Turk said. Following the legal guidelines of a 30-day letter and a 10-day notice, a vehicle that does not have current inspection and registration and is wrecked or inoperable could be towed within 40 days, Turk told the commission.
“That’s good,” Gene Ender, a commission member said.
“We struggle with the people we continually issue citations to,” Turk said. They are also involving police if warrants need to be issued.
“We’re hoping to see a significant change over the next few months,” Howerton said.
Businesses move towards compliance
The commission also recommended changing the zoning and granting specific use permit where two businesses are currently operating but don’t meet zoning requirements.
The applicant, George Saxon, owner of U Stuff It Self Storage for the past five years, said the mini warehouse facility in the 2800 block of U.S. Highway 180 West has been operating for the past 15 to 20 years at the site and that some of the buildings were built in the residential area leading him to believe the city changed the zoning of the property after the business was built.
No surrounding property owners expressed concerns about the request to change the zoning designation in the north section from residential to commercial or for a specific use permit.
Randy Mallory, of Stripes and More, also applied for a specific use permit and rezone.
He has been operating a painting booth as a part of his business for the past six to seven years but said he did not know about the regulations that applied if he operated the paint booth.
Mallory said his homemade paint booth would have to be replaced by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certified, self-enclosed painting booth on the back of the building.
Ball said he discussed the issue with a nearby property owner who told him he had no concerns.
“He runs a good operation up there,” Ball said.
If a zoning change to commercial from central business district and a specific use permit were granted, the city fire department would inspect to make sure city requirements are met and the business would have to apply for Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permits for air monitoring, according to Turk.
