Council hears rezoning request at 2501 Twelfth Avenue East for 1,600 sq ft neighborhood commercial office

City planning staff presented a rezoning request to change 0.3 acres at 2501 Twelfth Avenue East from SFR-2 (single-family residential) to NC (neighborhood commercial) to permit a one-story, roughly 1,600-square-foot office building.

The site sits south of Snow Hinton Park and near the Elmira subdivision. Staff showed renderings and said the proposal includes about seven parking spaces. At the Planning and Zoning Commission two people submitted written opposition; the commission recommended approval by a 5-3 vote.

Why it matters: The rezoning would introduce a small commercial use into an area that is primarily single-family residential, prompting concerns about traffic on Twelfth Avenue East and curbside parking.

Discussion and concerns Councilors and planning commissioners raised traffic-generation concerns for the narrow, local road where the office driveway would connect. Staff said the office is small but would generate some vehicle trips; they noted the applicant proposes seven parking spaces. One council member noted a history of compliance and traffic issues on Hard Grove Road and nearby local streets when asked whether the location could sustain additional commercial traffic.

Procedural status Planning staff reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, 5-3. No council final action was recorded in the transcript provided.

Next steps If council votes to approve the rezoning, the applicant would proceed with commercial building permits and any required site improvements; those details were not specified in the transcript.