Council hears public comment on Wildwood map amendment; rezoning from OR to R2 proposed

Council members opened a public hearing Tuesday on a map amendment and rezoning request from Baden Properties Limited to replat part of Wildwood Drive and change zoning from OR (office/residential) to R2 (intermediate-density residential).

The hearing is significant because rezoning would allow increased residential density, smaller lots and reduced setbacks, enabling roughly 40 single-family homes to be platted along the south side of Wildwood Drive, council members and staff said.

A city staff speaker explained that the map amendment concerns property west of Upton Street and that the application is a unanimous petition by a single owner. “Baden Properties, Limited is the applicant,” the staff member said while describing the black-and-white map presented to council. Staff said the north side of Wildwood is already zoned R2 and the proposal would bring the south side into alignment.

When asked to describe the difference between OR and R2 zoning, a staff member said OR (office residential) allows a range of office and residential uses, while R2 permits more residential density, smaller setbacks and fewer parking requirements. Council and the applicant discussed lot widths and platting; staff said detailed lot dimensions will be set by the platting process before the platting commission.

Council members and the staff speaker said the plan is still preliminary and estimated “right around 40” homes, with the exact number to be determined through platting. Planning commission recommended approval; staff noted a proposed map amendment rezoning ordinance will be presented to council at the May 13 meeting. No final rezoning vote was taken tonight.

The council invited public comment and said formal action on the rezoning will occur when the ordinance is presented next week.