Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Planning Commission approved two variances allowing Ti Squared Technologies to expand its production plant.
Ti Squared had asked for a variance from the front setback requirement of 20 feet at the plant, located at 1305 Clark Mill Road. The addition is 1,530 square feet and leaves only a 12-foot setback from the property line along Clark Mill.
The expansion also placed the plant 30 feet over its maximum allowed lot coverage, 50 percent of the lot. After completion the plant will be more than 12,000 square feet.
The Planning Commission approved the variances 5-0. Voting yes were Chairman Henry Wolthuis, Greg Stephens, Anay Hausner, Lance Gatchell and Eva Jurney.
James Goble did not participate in the decision because he had a potential conflict of interest. He is employed by Ti Squared. Mike E. Adams resigned did not participate because he resigned.
“It’s a good project from what I could tell,” Gatchell said.
“It fits the criteria,” Stephens said. “It’s the only place they can expand.”
None of the commissioners had any concerns about the project.
“Six years ago, we had an application, and then do to unexpected occurrences in our economy, we were unable to move forward with that,” said Vince Lowen, a manager at Ti Squared. Since then, Ti Squared has been able to get into new markets, and many of the new customers require higher quality standards.
That means Ti Squared needs to install new testing equipment, which means Ti Squared needs more room.
“This will also affect employment,” Lowen said. As a business, it works toward sales goals and improving sales. “We anticipate adding employees as well.”
Right now, the company employs about 38.
Ti Squared had been planning to move to Lebanon in 2012 after outgrowing its Clark Mill facility. At the time, the company had approximately 61 employees.
“We decided not to take advantage of the Lebanon site we were looking at,” Lowen said. “So we’re here in Sweet home.”
Along the way, Ti Squared has continued exploring new markets and added sales representatives, Lowen said. Among them are companies building products for oil exploration, towed arrays used to map the sea floor.
Typically, they want finished products too, Lowen said. Ti Squared has completed some work in this market, but typically it takes awhile to get projects like this going. Ti Squared will do some prototyping in the near future to make sure the product meets the needs of their customers.
In other business, the Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for Rita and Don Braaten to allow the use of a recreational vehicle by their son, who will serve as caretaker for his ailing parents, at 1110 24th Ave.
The commission voted 4-2. Voting yes were Goble, Stephens, Wolthuis and Gatchell. Jurney and Hausner voted not over concerns about the definition of structures in relation to the use of an RV.