The Lampasas City Council on Monday approved a zoning ordinance amendment that will allow singlefamily lofts in retail and commercial zones without a special-use permit.

“This will open up [to development] some of the two-story homes in the retail area,” Building Official Lance Carlson said.

The amendment extends to retail and commercial zones the same living privileges that apply in the central business district. The council voted, however, to require two additional on-site parking spaces for retail and commercial properties with upper-story housing. Parking spaces, which must be nine feet wide by 18 feet long, may be located within the properties’ mandated setback areas. A 25-foot side yard setback is required on retail properties.

A single-family residence in a multi-story building may be built only on the top floor, as floors at ground level must be used for retail or commercial purposes. Lofts may not exceed 50 percent of a building’s floor area.

Mayor Judy Hetherly and council members Wanda Bierschwale, Jerry Grayson, Brad Neely and Evan Stubbs voted for the ordinance change. Councilman John Cole abstained from voting, and Mayor Pro Tem Les Gerhardt was absent from the recent meeting.

Cole favored a more specifically worded ordinance that would have prevented unrelated people — such as non-family co-owners of a downstairs business — from living together in a retail or commercial loft.

“That’s not a single family,” the councilman said.

City officials do not stop unrelated people from sharing single-family dwelling space in other parts of town, City Manager Michael Stoldt said. “We have unrelated individuals living together in single-family housing all the time,” Stoldt said.

As worded, the zoning amendment does not limit retail and commercial lofts to true single-family residences, Cole said.

“If we’re going to make an ordinance,” he said, “let’s make it so people can understand it and so that it’s meaningful.”

In other business, the council voted 6-0 to approve a development agreement with Elaine Goodson for Antelope Lane property that is part of an area being annexed into the city. The agreement gives the property owner a 15-year exemption from annexation but limits development of the property for that time period.

Except for existing single-family residential use, the property for 15 years may not be used for anything but “agriculture, wildlife management and/or timber land and related incidental activities,” according to the agreement.

The owner also may not file subdivision plats or “any type of development document related to any portion of the property” during the term of the nonannexation agreement.

Chapter 43 of the Texas Local Government Code requires city officials to offer non-annexation agreements to all who own agriculturally exempt properties within areas targeted for annexation.

In another item, the City Council approved changes to the lists of clerks and judges for the May 8 municipal election. The election ordinance amendment named Glenda Funk as presiding judge and Jennifer Scribner as alternate presiding judge, and added Justine Theer to the list of clerks.

Becky Hudson will be presiding judge of the early ballot board, Elena Arnold will be alternate presiding judge/member No. 1, and Adrienne Windwillow will be member No. 2.

In addition, the council:

• OK’d the $6,000 purchase of a 2006 John Deere 800 aerator for Hancock Park Golf Course. Because an outside company has been aerating the golf course greens for $2,400 per service, course manager Van Berry said the aerator would pay for itself within a few years.

• voted not to change the city’s monthly telecommunications line rates, which are $1.23 for residential, $2.83 for non-residential and $4.31 for point-to-point.

• authorized the purchase of as much as $4,850 of lime slurry — about 30 tons — to stabilize the entrance to the new sports park under construction on Farm-to- Market Road 580 West. The council agreed to purchase the material from Lhoist North America in Clifton.

• OK’d the placement of two banners on Key Avenue to advertise a celebration of Rollins Brook Community Hospital’s 75th anniversary. The event will be staged June 13 at W.M. Brook Park.

Also at the recent meeting, the council OK’d proclamations declaring April “Fair Housing Month” and naming May “Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.”

Ray Butler, safety and awareness outpost coordinator for the Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independent Riders motorcycle group, urged motorists to watch for motorcycle riders, as Butler said riders are more likely to be injured or killed in collisions than the occupants of other vehicles.

The Texas motorcycle confederation is requesting the same attention to safety that it insists on for its own members, Butler said.

“We spend as much time urging our fellow riders to ride safely, soberly and to follow the road signs,” he said.

Answering a request from Butler, Stoldt said city staff will install two road signs to warn motorists to watch for motorcycle riders. One sign will face southbound traffic on U.S. Highway 183 near the north side of the city, and the other will face westbound traffic on U.S. 190 near the edge of town.