Steinbach city council has made one last change to its Zoning Bylaw before it goes to a public hearing next month. It has changed the standard for parking regarding businesses along gravel roads. The current zoning bylaw requires all parking lots to be paved. But councillor John Fehr moved that the city adjust that requirement.

"The reason I did is because we've had a fair bit of feedback on this. I think it's not fair to expect our citizens to do things that we're not prepared to do ourselves. When we expanded the city shop (along Millwork Drive), we didn't hard surface and we should have. If we're going to hold anybody else to it (that standard) we should do that as well. So I think it's not fair to go and create bylaws or have bylaws that we're not prepared to live with ourselves."

Earl Funk seconded the motion saying it only makes sense that businesses along a gravel road should not have to pave their parking lots.

"Up until 2010, that 'like-for-like' was the policy. The policy only changed then and there have been numerous variances that came to us and we always sided in favour of the applicant. So I figured if that's the case, if you look at history as to what we're doing, common sense says to go like-for-like (on the parking lot surface).

Council approved the change by a vote of 4-2. Mayor Chris Goertzen and councillor Cari Penner were opposed saying the city should not be lowering its standards when it comes to building requirements.

A public hearing on the Zoning Bylaw is set for July 17th.