By Landon Olson

PARADISE -- Residential building is increasing, and has been for the last three years, according to the latest report on building in the town.

Cache County building inspector Don Davis was at the Town Council meeting Wednesday to give the 2002 year-end report.

Last year nine residential building permits were issued, compared with six for 2001 and four for 2000.

"Paradise and Avon are pretty popular right now, I'd say," Davis said. "People want to live here."

Cache County is contracted with Paradise to provide for building inspections.

Davis said the inspection "boils down to a double check of safety."

One benefit of the increased number of permits is the money the town gets.

Utah adopted the Uniform Building Code of 1997 and builders must pay a fee based on the fee charts in the code.

Under the contract between Paradise and Cache County Corporation, 80 percent of the fee money goes to Cache County Corporation, while 20 percent goes to the town.

In addition to the increase in building, more residents are looking to start businesses.

Paradise resident Kelly Mortensen was on hand attempting to get approval to open a hair salon in a residential area. Mortensen said she has been trying to get approval for a couple of years, but the town prohibits it.

Under current zoning ordinances, a business can be run from a house being lived in, but not from a separate building, said Mayor Lee Atwood.

"We need to figure out a way to let a person a person earn a few bucks in a barn," he said.

The biggest issue is the impact a residential business would have on neighbors. Atwood said the town might look in to giving conditional use permits depending on the impacts.

Councilman Dave Anderson said, "We want to let people do what they need to do to make a living, but at the same time not impact other people."

Atwood said the council is working on a plan to assess impacts and issue permits based upon that rather than the type of business that would go in an area.

Mortensen was told by the council to prepare a list of potential impacts her salon would have and take the list to be discussed at the Zoning and Planning Commission meeting.

In other business, the council discussed the success of the dog immunization and registration clinic held Feb. 22. At the clinic, the town licensed 137 dogs to about 80 people.

"I think we go pretty good coverage," Atwood said.

After the clinic, follow-ups were done with those who registered the previous year, but didn't renew their license. Additional follow-ups are being looked into.

"There's a benefit to having your dog licensed--you can find it if it strays away from home," Atwood said.

Paradise is also looking to start a youth council for high school aged kids. A meeting for anyone interested will be held Saturday morning. Those wanting to get involved should contact town recorder Amy Winn at 245-6737.

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