Brandywine Neighborhood Association

Permit To Clear Trees On The Bailey Property Approved By City.

Jan 15, 2006

At the regular meeting of the Helena City Council on December 21, 2005, George Pickle, the city's building inspector, brought forth an application for a permit from Clayton-Bailey Properties to allow them to clear trees and begin grading the property adjacent to ?‘The Storage Place?’ in preparation for the expansion of that business onto the property located on the south side of Mac Queen Drive near the entrance to our subdivision. BNA members Dan Nathan, Jerry Goodson, Woods McRoy and Barbie Alford were in attendance.

When the issue was brought up, Mr. Pickle explained that the permit required no city council approval, nor vote to approve, but he wanted the council to be aware that he had received the application because of the sensitive nature of this particular project with respect to the neighborhoods adjacent to it.

After Mr. Pickle?’s explanation and brief discussion among the council, Mr. Dan Nathan rose and explained to the council members that according to the agreement brought before the council when Clayton-Bailey Properties requested re-zoning of these parcels of land, the Brandywine Neighborhood Association was to be notified when changes or permits were requested and that no notification had been received by the BNA.

Mr. Nathan further explained that he had attempted to get in touch with Clayton-Bailey?’s representative council, John DeBuys of Burr-Forman before the meeting, but he had not returned any phone calls. Also he expressed concern that while some progress had been made in cleaning up the property, the issues of the violations of the city ordinances concerning the trash, abandoned vehicles and building materials that were discussed at the August meeting had not been completed as of this date.

The council explained that because they did not need to approve or disapprove the application, they would add to the record that the application had been applied and approved by Mr. Pickle?’s office and that no notification had been received by the BNA. Mr. Pickle assured the council that the application for permit contained no changes to the site or the plan that would affect the stipulations agreed to by the BNA and Clayton-Bailey Properties at the previous meeting of the city council in the August 15th meeting.

(See City of Helena City Council Minutes of the August 15th, 2005 meeting at this link: Helena City Council Meeting Minutes Aug 15, 2005
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After the meeting, Mr. Nathan asked Mr. Pickle if he had visited the site to review the state of the cleanup proceedings and he stated that he had not been there lately but he knew they were making progress.