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Commission denies request to rezone 1 acre for welding business; owner owns larger parcel
Summary
A request to rezone one acre to RR for a welding business was denied after staff said the proposed rural zoning would not be compatible with surrounding RSF-1 residential parcels; the applicant told the commission he owns 8.7 acres but sought rezoning of a single acre.
The Baldwin County Commission voted on May 20 to deny a request to rezone one acre from RSF-1 to RR to allow a welding shop and related business uses.
Planning staff recommended denial, saying the parcel sits within an area surrounded by RSF-1 residential zoning and that converting a single acre to rural/rural-business zoning would not conform with the master plan or adjacent uses. Staff noted that some home-based businesses exist elsewhere but that a welding shop can produce noise and other impacts that are difficult to buffer in the county’s current regulations.
Owner Arturo Terrazas told the commission he owns about 8.7 acres overall and was seeking rezoning of a single acre for a business site. "Yes, I do own 8.7 acres... but, yeah, she's right. It's just 1 acre is what I'm looking to rezone," Terrazas said.
During discussion commissioners said rezoning a single parcel to allow a business in an otherwise residential area poses compatibility problems and cited prior instances where similar uses created noise and other neighbor complaints. A motion to deny carried on a voice vote.
Planning staff suggested the owner might explore home-occupation options under existing RSF-1 rules if the proposed business can meet size and operational limits.
