Merchants Oppose Amendment to Western Plan : Naysayers Fail to Keep Horses off Street

NORCO —  City Council members support the idea of a western theme for commercial development on 6th Street, but a poll of the council taken Wednesday night indicates the zone likely will be more western than merchants there would like.

By a 3-2 margin, the council decided to amend the proposal to let some property owners on the two-mile stretch of 6th Street keep horses on their land, with individual approval from the council.

“We have thousands and thousands of acres of (residential and agricultural) land in Norco,” said Chris Kohlenberger, president of the Norco Chamber of Commerce. “Why can’t they let commercial be commercial?”

Kohlenberger, who owns an automotive parts and repair shop on 6th Street, was among a parade of speakers praising the zoning proposal by the city’s Planning Commission.

Attract Customers, Not Flies

That proposal would have prohibited any new horse-keeping in the “C-4” zone, an important concession to area merchants, who maintain that it is inappropriate to allow horses--and the attendant manure, flies and dust--near restaurants, motels and other businesses seeking to attract customers from outside the city.

But Councilman Ron Wildfong argued that horses already are allowed on adjacent properties behind the commercial area, so allowing them a few feet closer would not cause any additional problems.

“You’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” countered Mayor Richard L. MacGregor, who with Councilwoman Naomi Feagan voted against allowing horses on 6th Street. The restriction would be “fair if (property owners) clearly understand what the rule is when they come into the C-4 zone.”

Another change supported by Wildfong, and opposed by the merchants, would have allowed new, detached homes to be built on 6th Street lots, in conjunction with a permitted commercial use at the front.

Other Changes

The council voted 3 to 2, with Wildfong and Steve Nathan dissenting, to allow a new home to be built along the street only if it is attached to a business. The proposed zone will allow an existing, unattached home to remain, however, if a business is built at the front of the same lot.

Also slated for change is a provision creating an architectural review board for the zone. While council members supported the architectural review process, they said the Planning Commission could do the job without creating another governmental body.