Planning Commission approves rezoning and plan to convert vacant nursing home into 55+ apartments

The Oxford Planning Commission voted unanimously on June 10 to recommend changing zoning for the Dudley property on Fairfield Road from R2A (single- and two-family residential) to R3 and to approve a combined preliminary and final plan development that would adaptively reuse the vacant former nursing home as primarily one‑bedroom apartments targeted to residents aged 55 and older.

The proposal, presented by architect Scott Webb on behalf of owners Terry and Kathy Dudley and summarized by city staff, would reuse the existing roughly 2.7-acre site and building footprint and convert the structure into dwelling units. Staff said the project as presented would produce a maximum of 44 dwelling units (the applicant described the building as containing 72 “bedrooms” in conversion planning) and that the requested rezoning would allow up to 42 units by right in R3, with the applicant asking for site-specific waivers to allow a higher count to fit the existing internal layout.

City planner staff framed the project as an adaptive reuse that aligns with Oxford’s 2023 comprehensive plan goals to expand housing options for older residents and to reuse existing buildings. Staff recommended approval with conditions and a set of waivers (including increased lot coverage up to about 70%, perimeter setback and front-yard-coverage waivers, curb/parking revisions, lighting shielding and…