July 16, 2020 10:30 a.m.

Staff with the City of Roseburg says a recent code modification will help local property owners.

On Monday the City Council passed an ordinance which modifies sidewalk requirements on residential property improvements. A release said the amendment will provide residential property owners with the ability to make modest improvements to their property without the immediate costs associated with constructing a sidewalk.

The release said prior to the change Roseburg Municipal Code required property owners who planned to make certain improvements increasing the floor space of their home, to construct a sidewalk as a condition of obtaining a development permit. Due to the significant costs associated with building a sidewalk, the release said the provision in the code created barriers for residents looking to improve their home. Staff identified the issue and requested the amendment to relax those requirements.

The code amendment creates an exception to the installation of a sidewalk in certain circumstances. In order to qualify and defer construction of the sidewalk the property must be:

*A single-family residence or duplex

*The addition and/or accessory structure may not increase the size of the floor area of all structures on the property more than 15 percent

*No public sidewalk may exist within 250 feet of the property frontage on the same side of the street.

Contact the City of Roseburg Community Development Department at 492-6750 for more information.