The Gloucester County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:45 tonight in the colonial courthouse on a code amendment for exemption of temporary buildings and waiver of fees for structures damaged by fire or natural disaster.

Planning director Anne Ducey-Ortiz said the Gloucester Board of Supervisors referred a code amendment to the commission for consideration to allow the siting of temporary residences in cases of fires and natural disasters without the need for a building permit to repair the existing permanent residential structure for a period of six months.

The referral from the supervisors also requested that the commission provide the ability for supervisors to waive zoning permit fees associated with these incidents, Ducey-Ortiz said.

Based on direction from the county board, she said, county attorney Ted Wilmot drafted an ordinance which includes four options, all of which will be presented for consideration at the public hearing tonight.

The options all indicate a travel-trailer (recreational vehicle) be placed no closer than 15 feet to any lot line, that water, sewer and electrical connections be provided by the applicant, be quick to disconnect, and to conform to county and state regulations, and the inhabitants shall evacuate themselves and/or the trailer when climatic conditions warrant and within four hours of notification by federal, state or local authorities.

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