Fraser — The Fraser City Council on Monday approved RZ‑25‑01, rezoning a 3.69‑acre parcel along Hayes Road from residential low (RL) to residential medium (RM), a change the applicant said would allow eight single‑detached site condominium units instead of six under current rules.

The rezoning request, which followed a 5–1 approval by the Planning Commission, drew public opposition from nearby residents who asked the council to delay action while they gather independent engineering analyses of stormwater and traffic. Council approved the rezoning by voice vote; Council Member Shornack recorded the lone opposition.

The parcel lies north of 14 Mile Road and is vacant except for a single garage, City Manager Levin told the council. City Planner Lauren explained that RM zoning permits smaller minimum lot sizes and the applicant proposed site condominiums — detached houses on condominium pads with shared ownership of common areas — rather than a traditional subdivision.

Several residents who live near the retention pond said the existing drainage infrastructure was designed before recent nearby construction and may not have capacity for additional homes. Heather Corcoran, who gave her address as 33480 Hayes Road, told the council she was "concerned that if the development of eight houses or units go up, it's going to make it even more complicated for us to mitigate that, and it'll be expensive." Kurt Tischer, also of 33480 Hayes, asked the council to pause the rezoning to allow neighbors time to obtain outside analyses.

Council members discussed several nonbinding controls: whether the private cul‑de‑sac and interior roads would be expressly required to remain private and maintained by a condominium association, and whether any future request to dedicate streets to the city would require a council vote. Council Member Shornack pressed city staff to ensure the master deed and related documents would “have maintenance provisions and requirements and obligations” so the city would not later inherit private streets.

Planner Lauren and City Manager Levin noted that the zoning change is not a conditional rezoning: any uses allowed in RM would be permitted on the lot if the council approved the change. The record also shows the Planning Commission held a public hearing on May 7 where 11 people spoke in opposition and a nearby petition was submitted; staff said statutory notice procedures were followed and the Commission’s approval did not trigger the two‑thirds supermajority requirement in the ordinance.

The council vote approved the rezoning; the council did not adopt additional codified conditions in the motion. If the applicant proceeds, the development would be subject to the city’s usual site plan, permitting, and utility review processes.

Why it matters: The change allows a higher density option for the property and adds two dwelling units beyond what RL zoning permits; neighbors say the incremental density and construction could alter local drainage patterns and traffic on Hayes Road and near the retention pond.

What’s next: The applicant must complete site plan and utility approvals. Residents and council members asked staff to confirm whether right‑of‑way, storm sewer capacity and the potential for eventual city adoption of private streets would be clarified as part of the development review process.