Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, earlier introduced House Local Bill 17-26 which seeks to rezone many areas on Saipan and change them into another land use category. The measure is opposed by the Zoning Office and some members of the community.
Cabrera’s H.L.B. 17-49 will give the zoning administrator more flexibility in granting zoning permits.
Demapan’s H.L.B. 17-50 also provides the same flexibility but like Torres’ bill it will also re-designate some areas from village residential to village commercial.
It also grants the zoning administrator “an administrative variance on repairs or other alterations which do not change the use, footprint or square footage.”
The variance is also for a decrease of up to 50 percent of the dimension requirement, size of lot or front yard, size of yard or rear yard setback, or a change in fence height or requirement on specific decorative elements required by law in the building façade, or a decrease of up to 33 percent in the number of parking spaces, or an increase of up to 20 percent in the number of compact parking spaces.
