Council directs staff to pursue rezoning of 5234 Hester Road for affordable housing

Oxford City Council voted to direct the city manager to designate 5234 Hester Road as the site for an affordable-housing development and to begin the rezoning process. The resolution, moved and seconded during the meeting, was adopted by voice vote.

City planner Jessica (city staff) told council the city issued a new request for proposals (RFP) for the Hester Road site and received four responses; three respondents indicated they would require rezoning for their proposals to be viable. “We had 4 respondents, and 3 of the 4 indicated that they would need us to rezone in order for their proposal to be viable,” Jessica said, adding that the property is currently zoned R1B and the proposed zoning would be R2A, “which would allow up to 24 units with a planned development.”

Councilors questioned timing given the citywide zoning code update. Jessica said the code update is not expected to be complete until the fall and that many applicants are aiming to move quickly, including to be eligible for ARPA funds the city has set aside. The item will next go to the planning commission; a councilor noted April’s planning commission meeting is canceled and the rezoning application would therefore go to the May planning commission meeting.

A councilor also urged that city-owned properties under consideration for affordable housing be reviewed holistically to optimize density and support affordable development; another councilor said they supported beginning the rezoning process for Hester Road and looked forward to planning commission review. No public speakers addressed the resolution before the adoption vote.

The resolution was adopted by voice vote.

A vote to begin the rezoning process does not itself rezone the property; formal rezoning will proceed through the normal planning commission and council hearings required under the city’s zoning code.