The Knox Plan Commission wants to make sure sheds and garages are being permitted properly.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Commission President Jeff Berg explained that residents who want to install a shed need to visit the city’s plan office for a permit. “Specifications for a shed is basically 12-by-12 or under,” he said. “There’s 10-by-10s out there, and there’s nine-by-11s, as well. One $50 charge, which is a permit fee. And the paperwork then goes to the assessor’s office, and then that is taxed on their taxes.”
But many sheds sold locally are larger than 12-by-12 feet. Currently, those are permitted as garages, with a $75 fee.
Commission member Greg Matt said that may not be the best classification. “Those aren’t really what our ordinance considers a garage,” he said. “A garage is a foundation, poured floor, stick built. And that’s where we get into a lot of trouble with ‘garage in the box,’ with the metal Quonset drive-throughs, and all that.”
The canvas “garage in a box” structures don’t require permits because they’re designed to be temporary. However, Matt said people are using them as permanent garages. On top of that, some large sheds or metal garages have apparently been installed without permits.
No action on the issue was taken by the plan commission Tuesday.
