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Board discusses amendment to zoning law
“Typos” and long sought clarification of sections of the Saipan Zoning Law were corrected in a recent amendment to the statute.
This was gathered during a Zoning board meeting late last Thursday after board members asked for clarification on the passage of Senate Local Bill 19-03, authored by Sen. Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan).
The bill drew the ire of some lawmakers who were not to keen on the amendment’s exemption of Best Sunshine International, Ltd.’s from certain zoning prohibitions.
During the board meeting, counsel Kate Fuller told board members that the bill also clarified a section of the law that were “not terribly clear.”
“There was also a typo in that bill at the first time it was passed. We wanted to correct that typo and we wanted to clarify exactly where the poker establishments are allowed,” she said.
Both Zoning administrator Therese Ogumoro and Fuller both noted inconsistencies in an earlier amendment to the bill in 2013.
For example, distance prohibitions were 300 feet in one section and 200 feet in another section. On top of this, the language about what districts were set was not clear.
“We’ve been trying to correct it,” said Ogumoro said, but it was left idle among other legislation since 2013.
“The language was very confusing,” added Fuller.
To one member’s concern that the board was not informed about the amendment, chair Diego Blanco said it was his opinion that “the Legislature can amend the law with or without our consent.”
“They have done it before,” he said.
