DESIGNATION OF PLANNING COMMISSION
The Kosciusko Planning Commission has been created by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen as an advisory committee to the City of Kosciusko in zoning matters and is vested with the rights and responsibilities as provided in Mississippi Code Annotated, Section 17-1-17 (1972), and established in the City of Kosciusko. The Kosciusko Planning Commission shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations governing the conduct of its land use affairs and in keeping with the provisions of this Code. The Building Official will serve as a non voting ex-officio member.
The Kosciusko Planning Commission shall have the following responsibilities:
Prepare a comprehensive plan for the future development of the City of Kosciusko, including among other things recommendations relative to all aspects of location, size and arrangement of streets, parks, public grounds, railroads, transportation, platting of public and private property, grouping of public and private buildings and housing, appearance and beauty, and financial planning of said City or any portion thereof.
Make recommendations in connection with the execution and detailed interpretation of the Kosciusko Comprehensive Plan, and make such changes and adjustments in the Plan as may be deemed desirable from time to time.
Act upon any matter relating to zoning regulations and planned unit developments of said City which shall be referred to it by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen and assume such other related duties and responsibilities as may be required of it by ordinance or by order of the City
Make recommendations regarding the approval and disapproval of preliminary plats and final plats for land subdivision. Such plats shall be referred to the Kosciusko Planning Commission before the Mayor and Board of Aldermen takes any action.
Powers Relative to Variances: Where, by reason of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, or shape of a specific piece of property at the time of the original adoption of the regulations, or by reason of exceptional topographical conditions or other extraordinary or exceptional situation or condition of a specific piece of property, which condition is not generally prevalent in the area, the strict application of these regulations would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to or exceptional and undue hardship on the owner of such property, the Planning Commission is hereby empowered to authorize upon an appeal relating to such property a variance from such strict application so as to relieve such difficulties or hardship, but may establish such requirements relative to such property as would carry out the purpose and intent of these regulations.
Powers Relative to Exceptions: Upon appeal, the Planning Commission is hereby empowered to permit the following exceptions
To permit the extension of a district not to exceed one hundred (100) feet where the boundary lines of a district divides a lot in single ownership as shown of record
To interpret the provisions of these regulations where the street layout actually on the ground varies from the street layout as shown on the map fixing the several districts which map is attached to and made a part of these regulations.
Recommend from time to time legislation which may be desirable to further the purposes of City planning.
Implement the statement of purpose, objectives of the Comprehensive Plan and continuous planning process as it relates to the Zoning Ordinance and other City codes, ordinances and policies.
Hear and make recommendations regarding variances form the terms of this Ordinance. A variance from the terms of this Ordinance shall not be granted by the Planning Commission unless and until:
A written application for a variance is submitted demonstrating:
That special conditions and circumstances exist which are peculiar to the land, structure, or building involved and which are not applicable to other lands, structures, or buildings in the same district
That literal interpretation of the provisions of this ordinance would deprive the applicant of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same district under the terms of this Ordinance
That the special conditions and circumstances do not result from the actions of the applicant;
That granting the variance requested will not confer on the applicant any special privilege that is denied by this Ordinance to other lands, structures, or buildings in the same district.
No non-conforming use of neighboring lands structures, or buildings in the same district, and no permitted or nonconforming use of lands, structures, or buildings in other districts shall be considered grounds for the issuance of a variance.