The Fredericksburg Planning & Zoning Commission on a majority vote approved a city-initiated land-use change and zoning reclassification for about 8.91 acres on Friendship Lane to permit public facilities and public/semi-public uses, a step the city said is needed to implement an agreement to develop a racquet facility on the site.

City staff presented the request as an amendment to both the comprehensive-plan land-use designation and the zoning map. Shelby, who presented the staff report, told the commission the 2024 Comprehensive Plan identifies the property with a future place type of open space but that “public facilities is also a good candidate for this zoning category for this specific use,” and that staff recommended approval. She said two adjacent property owners had replied in support after the required 200-foot notice.

Garrett Vaughn, Fredericksburg city manager, told the commission the city council recently entered an agreement with the Fredericksburg Racquet Center to develop a racquet facility there and that “one of the city's responsibilities under that agreement is to rezone and replat the site.” He said the site plan would return to the commission at a subsequent meeting.

Commission discussion emphasized that the site had long been envisioned for park or public use when the city acquired it. One commissioner noted the open-space future-place label on the plan did not fit the pending development and urged the commission to adopt the public-facilities designation so the site’s zoning matched the planned use.

After a public-hearing period with no speakers in opposition, the commission approved the land-use change and then approved the zoning change from single-family residential (R-1) to public facilities. A commissioner recorded an abstention on both votes; staff noted the abstention as Mr. Dealey. The rezoning and land-use approvals were recorded as commission actions and will be reflected in the city’s zoning map and presented in future site-plan review.

The city manager said the applicant will present a formal site plan to the commission at the next meeting and that additional administrative steps (replatting, site-plan review) remain before construction.

Why it matters: The approvals align the property’s regulatory status with the city’s agreement with a local provider to develop recreational facilities, moving the project from planning to the site-plan and implementation stage. The commission’s action does not itself authorize construction; subsequent site-plan approvals and any required permits will be needed.

For follow up: the commission and staff indicated the racquet center site plan will be placed on an upcoming agenda for formal site-plan review and that replatting will follow the zoning action.