Jim Fair
Planning Commissioner Brian Martin measures the length of meetings by the number of cans of soda he brings. Martin was accurate with Monday's meeting nearing three-hours.
Jim Fair
Residents strategize before the planning commission meeting.
Jim Fair
A half dozen residents signed in to speak at Monday's planning commission meeting.
Jim Fair
Mark Hopper attended his first meeting as a newly selected planning commissioner.
It was another energy-filled meeting.
A roomful of citizens from the Abner Creek and Alexander Road neighborhoods passionately asked commissioners to deny rezoning based on their belief that roads surrounding the communities wouldn’t safely support the planned residential growth.
It was good theater for a while. One resident pretended to hold back tears while she said approval meant she had little left to live for. Another resident was directing his displeasure to the developer, only a few feet away. A section of residents applauded their neighbors’ comments.
City police monitor city council meetings, despite little or no attendance. There is no police presence at city planning commission meetings where residents routinely interrupt proceedings and disregard discussion time limits.
Martin reminded the residents the planning commission’s role was to recommend zoning requests for properties, not to approve annexation.
With that explained, Martin offered watered-down requests from developers steering the commissioners to unanimously approve, 7-0, less dense rezoning.
The motions made Monday night:
• Alexander Road, 4.5 acres, denied R-10 single family rezoning 42 houses cluster; approved R-15 single family 23 houses and no clustering.
• Alexander Road, 6.29 acres (adjacent to above parcel), Denied R-10 single family rezoning 42 houses cluster; approved R-15 singe family houses and no clustering.
• Abner Creek and Mayfield Road, 35.69 acres, approved R-12 single family rezoning 98 houses cluster.
• Tabled 211 North Main Street rezoning to commercial when no representative in attendance.
• Tabled Lake Hartwood community rezoning at South Suber Road when no representative was in attendance.
Mark Hopper participated in his first meeting as a planning commissioner.
Commissioners were told there are four annexations and one text amendment scheduled for the November meeting.