A simple change is producing improved results for variance requests in the City of Decorah

City of Decorah Board of Adjustment Chair John Moeller says a simple procedural change made by city administrators has produced very good results in cases where property owners have requested variances.

In the past letters with a notice of the proposed variance were sent only to neighboring property owners who were deemed to be "significantly affected" by the variance request.  But city officials now are routinely sending out letters to ALL neighboring property owners.

Moeller says the procedural change "has solved a host of problems."  That's because the notices allow property owners to talk with their neighbors about the variance request--and work out any issues before the Board of Adjustment meeting.  Moeller says the result is that "the system has worked much more effectively."