The Empire Village Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to its temporary outdoor use zoning rules at its May 6 meeting.

Chairman Paul Skinner said the commission reviewed the latest draft of proposed changes to the temporary outdoor use language at a meeting last week. The language would regulate uses such as Christmas tree sales and gatherings such as the Asparagus Festival and the Dunegrass and Blues Music Festival.

The Planning Commission omitted procedures for issuing temporary land use permits for outdoor events when updating the Zoning Ordinance last year.

Under the proposed language, estimates of the size of the crowd would change how many criteria an applicant must meet to receive land use permit. If the applicant is expecting less than 750 people, the rules are less stringent. If it’s 750 or more, higher standards would be applied.

Skinner said the commission set the time limit for a temporary permit to 45 days. “We wanted to accommodate uses like Christmas tree sales without getting too long,” he said. The commission expects to have the latest draft of the proposed changes ready for public review this week. Copies of the amendment will be available at the village office.

In other business, the commission:

• Set the application fee for a temporary land use permit at $100. When the commission updated the Zoning Ordinance last year it did not include a fee for such permits. Skinner said the $100 charge is the same as for a regular land use permit.

• Continued its discussion on whether non-conforming uses should be required to undergo review by the village Zoning Board of Appeals. Skinner said some commissioners would prefer to have leeway in allowing non-conforming uses to change, as long as that change is allowed under uses for the affected zoning district. He said some commissioners are worried that changing the requirement would allow non-conforming uses to expand. A vote to change the requirements failed on a 3-3 vote, with member Frank Skrocki absent. Skinner expects the matter will come before the commission again at a later date.

• Reappointed Skinner as chairman, appointed Skrocki as vice-chair, reappointed Phil Deering as treasurer; and appointed new member Jared Volz as secretary. Each officer term is for one year.

• Recommending increasing recording secretary Beryl Skrocki’s wage from $11 an hour to $12. Skinner said if approved by the Township Board it would represent the first wage increase for the recording secretary since 2005.