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Planning board denies rezoning request for Parker Drive parcel amid neighborhood and utility concerns
Summary
The Panama City Planning Board voted to recommend denial of a rezoning request for a 0.555-acre parcel on Parker Drive owned by Benjamin Gerechnis, citing surrounding residential context and potential utility/fire-flow constraints.
The Panama City Planning Board voted to recommend denial of a small-scale land-use amendment and rezoning request for a 0.555-acre parcel on Parker Drive owned by Benjamin Gerechnis. The board92s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Commission for final consideration on May 13.
Staff presented the request to rezone the property to General Commercial 2 (GC2) and recommended denial based on the parcel92s context within a predominantly residential area and potential utility constraints. A planning staff member said the site "could have" fire-flow issues for commercial development and that overcoming those concerns would likely require upgrades to the water-utility system in that area.
The applicant, who identified himself as Benjamin Gerechnis, said he purchased the property recently and said his concept was to use the site for outdoor storage such as boat or RV storage if rezoned. "I plan on putting ... boat trailer, you know, RV storage, outdoor storage," he said. Gerechnis acknowledged he had not yet consulted neighbors and said he had not completed engineering plans.
Board members questioned whether GC2 was appropriate, noting that GC2 is the most intense commercial district and could allow higher-impact uses if the zoning were changed. One board member described the requested change as a "big leap" from residential and expressed concern about creating a permanent commercial zoning designation near homes.
Board members voted by roll call to deny the rezoning recommendation; Carroll, Stamps, Barker, Rich and Chairman Neubauer recorded votes in favor of denial. Members advised the applicant that a stronger application would include engineered plans, neighborhood outreach and responses to the utilities/fire-flow concerns before the item reaches the City Commission.
The board92s action is advisory to the City Commission; the applicant may revise the proposal, perform the recommended engineering and outreach, and bring a refined application to a future hearing.
