The Auburn Planning Commission voted to rezone about 10.08 acres at 306 Persimmon Drive from rural to industrial and granted a conditional-use permit to allow contractor offices, a storage yard and a proposed 14,280-square-foot warehouse with roughly 400 square feet of office space.

The rezoning and conditional-use applications were presented by city staff as a remedy to a longstanding legal nonconformity: the property currently operates as a contractor office and storage yard in a rural zoning district, a use that predates or was created without authorization under current zoning. The applicant asked the commission to bring the parcel into compliance with the city's zoning ordinance and 2030 future land-use designation.

Why it matters: approving the rezoning removes the property's nonconforming status and allows the owner to consolidate and expand existing industrial uses under the industrial zoning district. Commissioners and staff said the decision concerns only the zoning designation and does not resolve separate complaints residents raised about traffic, road damage or pollution.

City staff said the photographs residents provided showing roadway damage at the Persimmon Drive/US-29 intersection appear to be confined to the highway right-of-way and to the area around the transfer station and recycling facilities. "Most of that damage appears to be related to the transfer station and recycle sites that are maintained there at the intersection," staff member Scott said, after driving the corridor and reviewing aerial imagery.

A string of nearby residents opposed the requests at public hearing, saying heavy operations have affected their neighborhood. "It smells awful over there," resident Larissa Buchanan told the commission, adding several family members had developed cancer that she attributed to local pollution. White Cotton, another resident, and Gene Merrick said traffic and truck activity have affected road conditions and neighborhood quality of life.

Applicant and project details: the applicant plans a 14,280-square-foot enclosed warehouse on the property and to retain other existing buildings on site. Staff described a 15-foot buffer on the site plan; because the property abuts a single-family neighborhood to the south, staff said the development must also meet the city's residential buffer standards during development review. There will be no new curb cuts or new access points, and the new building will use existing entrances on Persimmon Drive and Leerobe. The applicant's representative, Tyler Fair, said outdoor lighting would "match what's existing out there, just typical flood lights" and that the project would not require nighttime work.

Commissioners noted that separate enforcement or remediation for road damage, trash transfer-station operations or health concerns are not before the planning commission and would be addressed by other city departments or by legal remedies outside this application. The commission approved rezoning case RZ2025-010 and conditional-use permit KCU2025-037. The approvals included staff review through the Development Review Team (DRT) process and a requirement to consolidate tax parcels by administrative plat before building permits are issued.

What comes next: staff will review landscaping, buffer and detailed site elements in DRT; the applicant must complete an administrative plat to consolidate multiple parcels before permits are issued. Residents who spoke were encouraged by commissioners to record their concerns with the city council and relevant enforcement agencies if they seek remedies beyond zoning.

Ending note: the commission's approval changes the legal status of the existing contractor/storage use to an allowed use in an industrial district and permits the proposed enclosed warehouse while requiring subsequent administrative and DRT reviews for detailed compliance.