Council holds public hearing on rezoning request for 602 North Olive

The Rolla City Council opened a public hearing on a request to rezone property at 602 North Olive Street from the C1 Neighborhood Commercial District to the R4 Urban Multifamily District.

Planning staff said the property sits midblock between Sixth and Seventh streets near downtown and lies in an area with a mixture of commercial and residential uses. Staff noted the comprehensive plan designates the area for community commercial uses but that the R4 district is intended for denser, downtown-adjacent multifamily and mixed-use development. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a 4–0 vote.

Property owner Will Benhart of Blarney Stone Investments told the council the existing duplex is in severe disrepair and that the owner intends to redevelop the lot with multifamily housing, likely a four- to six-unit building with parking provided behind the structure. Benhart said the project would better fit the neighborhood than a commercial use because Olive Street is busy and the lot size and lack of on-street parking make commercial uses less appropriate.

Council closed the public hearing and the ordinance rezoning the parcel was read into the record. Staff and the applicant answered council questions about required parking (0.66 spaces per bedroom under current code) and whether surrounding values could be affected; staff said the R4 district permits more intensive development and could increase values if applied broadly.

No final adoption vote was recorded in the meeting minutes; the item was advanced through a public hearing and reading of the ordinance for later action.

The discussion included the Planning and Zoning recommendation and the applicant’s statements about condition of the existing building and proposed parking configuration. No written objections were reported by staff.