BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) - Homeowners in Williston could soon have more freedom to build wider porches, following the City Commission’s approval of the first reading of Ordinance 1168 on Tuesday.

The ordinance would revise existing rules that limit uncovered porches to just four feet beyond a home’s entrance. If passed on second reading, the new regulation would allow porches and decks to span the full width of the building.

“This summer we received dozens of deck permits, and we kept having to deny them because they were wider than the four-foot requirement that's currently in the code,” said Lisa Weidner, staff planner for the City of Williston.

Weidner said the city reviewed the intent of the original ordinance and found that the restriction was more applicable to covered porches, which

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