Board approves rezoning for 76.55-acre Blair–Waldron project after resident questions

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved second reading of Ordinance 02/2015 on July 1, 2025, to rezone roughly 76.55 acres near Waldron Road and Blair Road from R-1 (low-density residential) to PDR (planned density residential) with a base R-3 (high-density residential) zone for portions of the site.

The vote followed a public hearing and an extended presentation from city staff and the developer about site layout, buffers and potential retail anchors. The rezoning will allow a mixed-use plan with retail at the project’s frontage and residential (apartments, townhomes, single-family) behind the commercial strip, plus internal roads including a new Blair West alignment.

City staff emphasized that the PDR zoning sets permitted and prohibited uses and that site-specific approvals — including site plans and infrastructure — must still return to the Planning Commission for detailed review. Glenn (city staff member) said the PDR text includes a lengthy list of prohibited uses, citing “hookah bars, vape stores, CBD stores, marijuana stores, self storage, mortuaries” as examples of disallowed tenants the city added to the development standards.

The developer, Turnbull Pursue of Equitable Property Company, told the board that no retail tenants are signed because no vested rights exist yet; he said granting the zoning entitlements is the necessary first step to attract anchor tenants. The developer’s representative, Landa Elliott, said retail market feedback shows the site “fills a hole for a lot of retailers” and that grocery-anchored tenants commonly drive follow-on leasing.

Residents at the public hearing raised concerns about traffic, speed in adjacent neighborhoods and the adequacy of buffering between the development and existing homes. Resident Craig Purcell suggested slowing traffic and adding speed bumps on neighborhood streets; Annette Viera said trust with prior builders has been an issue but said she appreciated that city leaders were listening. Walt (resident at 117 Rocky Trail) asked whether the city or developer was pursuing an anchor tenant; staff and the developer said the grocery/store anchor is the likely driver but no agreement is finalized.

The board discussed a 50-foot buffer and internal greenway designed to separate the commercial frontage from residential parcels and noted a parcel has been offered to the city for a future fire station site. Mayor (unnamed) and aldermen said the city’s economic analysis projects local sales tax and other revenue as important to city services, but they repeated that detailed site plans, drainage and roadway design must come back through normal review processes.

A motion to approve the ordinance carried after board discussion. During the roll call the transcript records Alderman Coates voting “aye,” Alderman Hobbs voting “aye,” Vice Mayor Ngo voting “no,” and the Mayor stating, “I vote aye.” The developer and staff said they would continue outreach to nearby residents and that the developer had agreed to share traffic study data with the city for future operational decisions.

The rezoning grants zoning entitlements only; engineering, subdivision, site-plan and road-construction approvals remain subject to Planning Commission review and additional public notice.

The board also suspended rules earlier in the meeting to allow the developer to speak directly to resident questions.

Residents and the developer asked the city to post meeting materials and the developer and staff indicated they would continue community meetings as project design and tenant discussions proceed.