Developer seeks rezoning at 1710 S. Cherry for spice retail; council previewed case

City staff previewed a rezoning application for 1710 South Cherry Street, where the owners, identified in the meeting as Donald and Sharon Mutchinson, seek to rezone roughly 0.336 acres from single-family-9 to general retail so a retail spice business can relocate to the site. The property is currently developed with a single-family house and is adjacent to Real Life Ministries Church to the north.

Why it matters: Rezoning changes the allowable uses on a property and can affect traffic, neighborhood character and future development. Staff said the parcel’s recently adopted comprehensive-plan designation is mixed use, and the rezoning request would conform to that designation.

Details and process: Craig, the city planner presenting the item, said the case will go to the Planning & Zoning Commission next Monday for a public hearing and recommendation and then return to council with the commission’s recommendation for a first reading of an ordinance on Sept. 15. Craig said the site is small (about 0.336 acres), limiting more intensive uses such as a gas station. He suggested the council could consider zoning the property to a less-intense district (neighborhood retail) or require conditional use approaches if members had concerns about specific uses.

Neighborhood concerns and protections: Council members asked whether neighborhood-retail zoning or conditional-use permits could limit unwanted uses. Staff said neighborhood retail might offer added protections and that a conditional-use review or code text amendment could be options if council wished to restrict particular uses.

Ending: The planning staff will move the case through Planning & Zoning for a public hearing and return to council on Sept. 15 with the commission’s recommendation; no council action was taken on Sept. 2.