Commission sends favorable recommendations on three zoning map amendments; one public comment raised cleanup and setback questions

The Planning Commission voted to forward favorable recommendations or approvals for three zoning map amendment requests and heard public comment on one of the properties.

Rezoning 302: Staff sought a recommendation to rezone 116 East Warren Street from Restricted Industrial and Warehousing (I-1) to Neighborhood Commercial (C-3). Staff explained the lot is used residentially and is smaller than the typical C-3 minimum lot area; rezoning to C-3 would make the existing lot a legal nonconforming lot for minimum lot area while addressing the current nonconforming use under I-1. A nearby property owner, Brian Hayes, said he owns several adjacent properties and asked whether the change would affect industrial uses and setbacks; staff replied that exact impacts on setbacks would require a specific site plan review and that any variance questions could go to the Board of Zoning Appeals. The commission voted to send a favorable recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Rezoning 303: The commission approved a request to rezone a property at Southwest Atlantic Street (applicant Jose Cruz, represented by Brian Kemp) from General Commercial (C-2) to Neighborhood Commercial (C-3) to permit conversion of an existing 90-by-30 building into two residential units. Staff and the applicant said the plan is to reuse the existing structure and install required modifications such as windows and interior divisions; the motion carried on a voice vote subject to staff comments.

Rezoning 304: The commission recommended rezoning approximately 8.95 acres at 0 New Manchester Highway from RS-1 Residential to General Commercial (C-2) to allow a client to develop commercial property along Highway 55. Staff corrected a typographical error in the agenda packet that had listed the area incorrectly as 0.12 acres. Staff reported adjacent parcels include cemetery property and some industrial operations; commissioners noted Highway 55 is an appropriate corridor for commercial uses. The commission recommended the rezoning to Coffee County (the county makes final decisions in that area) and the motion carried.

Commissioners discussed adjacency issues during the hearing and staff repeatedly emphasized that specific impacts on setbacks, uses, or cleanup history (a property on the TDEC meth-house registry was mentioned by a speaker) depend on future site plans, remediation records, or appeals to the Board of Zoning Appeals. The commission's votes were procedural recommendations to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen or to Coffee County, as noted in each item.