Council holds first reading on rezone for 434 N. Mount Zion Road

Lebanon City Council on Jan. 27 took the first reading of Ordinance 2025-04, a request to rezone approximately 1.31 acres at 434 North Mount Zion Road from light industrial to general business. The rezone was requested by property owner SK Sunrise LLC and comes after a unanimous recommendation from the Lebanon Plan Commission.

Council members heard a staff overview explaining that when the business park was originally zoned it was placed in an older planned-business industrial district that, through later Unified Development Ordinance updates, became light industrial. That classification left several retail uses, including the Subway restaurant on the site, nonconforming. Planning staff said the owner is considering small-scale commercial investments and that rezoning would align permitted uses and setback rules with those plans.

The council’s reading noted the Plan Commission held a public hearing on Jan. 21 and voted 9–0 to send a favorable recommendation. Rob (council member) read the ordinance on first reading; no final vote to rezone was taken. The council scheduled further consideration for its next meeting on Feb. 10 at 7:15 p.m.

If adopted, the ordinance would amend the city zoning map for the described property and supersede the current light industrial designation; staff said the site’s irregular shape and existing overparking limit the scale of potential redevelopment.

Planning staff also said the city may initiate rezonings of adjacent parcels where current zoning does not match present commercial uses along the interstate corridor. The council did not take a final vote on the ordinance at the Jan. 27 meeting.

The council will consider the ordinance for second reading and final action Feb. 10.