The Red Oak Planning Zoning Commission on Sept. 29 approved a rezoning request by applicant Charles Edwards to change 0.23 acres at 405 N. State Highway 342 from C-1 to Planned Development PD-187 to allow commercial uses, contingent on the applicant incorporating staff markups into revised drawings.

Staff explained the rezoning request followed a Texas Department of Transportation taking that reduced the lot depth to roughly 90 feet, short of the 100-foot lot depth required in the C-1 district. Ben, director of development services, said staff recommended approval “as long as they complete all of the markups that we have provided to them.” The commission voted to approve the item; the chair announced, “Ayes have it. Agenda item 2 has been approved.”

The commission record lists the property as approximately 0.23 acres with PIN 188191, Ellis County Appraisal District, and case number ZAsInZebraCAsInCat25-14. Staff displayed site and landscape drawings and noted the applicant must submit clean, revised plans that incorporate staff markups before final permits are issued. Staff also said the existing building has been inactive beyond 180 days; under the city’s code, the building must meet current code before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.

Applicant Charles Edwards spoke at the hearing and said he received revised drawings about an hour before the meeting and intends to comply. “I just plan on doing whatever the city asks me to do,” Edwards said, adding he plans exterior improvements. Staff and the applicant described planned site work including new landscaping, masonry veneer on the building, new dumpster provisions, improvements to onsite parking and circulation, and extending water and sewer service across the parcel to provide access to adjacent lots.

Commissioners asked for clarity about the landscape plan’s plant symbols on the iPad display; staff said the final submittal must show plant types and quantities. The motion to approve required the applicant to incorporate all staff notes and markups into the final drawings; staff will verify those revisions during the permit review process.

With conditions noted by staff, the commission approved the rezoning. Staff will review the applicant’s revised drawings; the applicant must meet the city’s required markups before the city can issue permits or a certificate of occupancy.