Gardner planning commission resubmits denial of 190 Ninth Street commerce rezoning, urges measures to limit truck traffic

The City of Gardner Planning Commission on Sept. 22 voted 7-0 to resubmit its original recommendation of denial to the governing body for the proposed 190 Ninth Street Commerce Center rezoning and associated preliminary development plan, while forwarding staff suggestions aimed at reducing non‑passenger vehicle traffic and a new request that the governing body consider physical access changes to deter truck traffic and improve safety.

The project is proposed on a roughly 55–57 acre parcel adjacent to Interstate 35. The preliminary development plan submitted by the applicant includes about 200,000 square feet of building area, several outdoor retail sales and storage lots and billboards. The governing body had remanded the rezoning back to the planning commission on Sept. 2 for focused review of differences between CO/COA and CP‑3 permitted uses and for ways to reduce potential truck traffic while allowing billboards.

Staff told the commission that the central legal issue is a conflict…