By Jennifer Erickson | LB Indy
The City Council Tuesday appointed the first five members of the new View Restoration Committee, established to arbitrate claims under the new view ordinance that took effect Dec. 17.
Doug Cortez, Rubin Flores, Ara Hovanesian, Katherine Koster and Chris Toy will serve two-year terms on the committee that will settle view disputes where the parties fail to come to terms on their own or through city-facilitated mediation.
A claimant who has exhausted those options can file an application for a view restoration claim, including evidence of the pre-existing views. The newly formed View Restoration Committee will visit the property and hold a publicly noticed hearing. If they find that a significant view is impaired, they can issue a view restoration order, including a long-term vegetation maintenance schedule, and the vegetation owner must comply, subject to code enforcement. Both parties may appeal the decision to the City Council.
The Council also appointed members to the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board on Tuesday, since the terms of Roger McErlane, Monica Simpson and Robin Zur Schmiede expire in March. Seven new candidates joined incumbents McErlane and Simpson in applying for the vacant seats. Zur Schmiede did not seek a new term.
McErlane and Simpson regained their seats, and newcomer Loraine Mullen-Kress landed the third.
