Wheeling City Council, Planning Commission To Hold Second Joint Session Tonight

WHEELING -- Members of the Wheeling Planning Commission and Wheeling City Council will hold their second of two planned joint work sessions Monday to discuss various zone code review proposals.

Early last month, members of the two governmental bodies met jointly during an initial work session, which was open to the public at the WesBanco Arena East Meeting Room. Tonight’s meeting will be conducted in the same format at the same location beginning at 5 p.m.

Parties will review zoning codes and discuss the possibility of making some future changes or updates.

The main agenda item is expected to be a review of a proposal that some council members support to allow dwelling units in accessory structures. Vice Mayor Chad Thalman and Councilman Ty Thorngate earlier this year attended a Planning Commission meeting and provided background on their thought process and reasons for supporting this proposal. They also pitched the idea of holding joint work sessions to discuss this and other proposed zone code changes in the city.

Accessory structures -- also known as granny flats or mother-in-law suites -- were permitted in Wheeling up until 2001, officials said. These units are scattered all over the city, however, they are no longer permitted because of the updated regulations in the city.

Allowing use of these accessory structures gives homeowners flexibility of what they can do with their property, proponents said. Officials also have noted that Airbnb units could be created and rented out if the code were to change, and expanded uses could trigger additional tax revenue, additional revenues for property owners and future incentives to invest in their properties.

Opponents to the accessory structure proposal have expressed concerns over introducing the need for additional on-street parking in neighborhoods that are already tight with parking availability.

Another topic slated for discussion during tonight’s joint work session is a proposal to amend the city’s sign regulations in residential districts.

Last month, city officials meeting in the joint session discussed at length a proposal to eliminate parking requirements for businesses and a proposal allowing non-conforming structures to be rebuilt in the city.

Officials stressed that although the work sessions do not provide a format for public input, the sessions are open for the public to attend and observe. If the matters move forward in any manner, opportunities will present themselves for the public to speak.

"It is important to note that the public is invited to attend the workshop, it’s just not a public hearing," said Councilman Dave Palmer, who is also a member of the Wheeling Planning Commission.

"Council referred this to us for our analysis, so I think we need to do more than just talk to council," Planning Commissioner Howard Monroe said during the last regular planning commission meeting. "They sent it to us to ask us to analyze it, so we need to do more than just meet with council. I think it was a good step, and I think it was a great meeting, but I do want to make that point."

If the city were to make changes to the zoning code, public hearings would have to be held and official action must make it through approval processes, including a vote on the floor of a public meeting before the full city council.

Because of a lack of business, the Wheeling Planning Commission’s regularly scheduled meeting for the month of March was canceled. Wheeling City Council is expected to meet for its next regular meeting on April 5.