Langley Properties seeks light-industrial rezoning for 110-acre site; offers 50-foot perimeter setback

Langley Properties on Jan. 6 presented a first reading to rezone roughly 110 acres near Diversion Dam Road and Bowling Road — identified in application materials as “Bowling Industrial 110” — from Rural Agriculture (RA-10 and RA-4) to Light Industrial (LI). The applicant told council the general plan already designates the area for employment uses and said rezoning would bring land-use zoning into alignment with the general plan.

Why it matters: The property is adjacent to existing industrially zoned parcels and near a state prison; rezoning could allow future industrial development and influence traffic, local services and neighbors’ property values. Langley Properties’ application drew neighborhood concern about traffic, safety and compatibility with adjacent residential parcels.

What the applicant proposed: Jennifer Ruby, representing Langley Properties and its ownership partnership Langley Lewis Holdings LLC and Comena Group, said the company does not yet have a specific developer or end user. The firm is seeking LI zoning to make the site marketable to industrial buyers and asked council to accept the first reading. As a voluntary mitigation, the applicant offered a minimum 50-foot building setback from all perimeter property lines; the town’s code otherwise requires varying setbacks (25 or 50 feet depending on frontage) and allows parking to encroach up to 15% of required setback area.

Public comments and neighbor concerns: Neighbors and attendees raised concerns about traffic, potential impacts on taxes and safety in relation to the nearby prison. Several residents asked that the rezoning be broadly publicized and that the town not “harvest” past candidates or decisions for other agenda items — comments offered in the same meeting’s earlier items — and asked why the process differed from previous open-application appointments. One property owner, Carl Bridal, who owns the 10 acres adjacent to the project, thanked the applicant for the 50-foot setback but asked whether perimeter walls could be raised from typical six feet to seven or eight feet to discourage potential thefts; he asked the council to consider additional buffering. Another attendee asked whether solar farms could be placed on the site; the applicant replied that solar is not a permitted use in light industrial zoning and would require an additional process.

Staff and procedural points: Planning staff (Maricella Benitez) said the Planning and Zoning Commission held a hearing Dec. 5 and recommended approval. The council opened a public hearing on the ordinance (Ordinance No. 745-25) and received public comments; the item was continued for a second reading and potential action at the council’s Jan. 25 meeting.

Next steps: The council set the second reading/possible action for Jan. 25, 2025. If rezoned, future development would require additional public review: a buyer or developer would likely submit a site plan and follow design review and site-plan approval processes that include public hearings.

Technical clarifications offered at the hearing: The applicant emphasized that the 50-foot setback was a voluntary stipulation intended to provide additional buffer for adjacent property owners; applicant representatives said parking could still occupy up to 15% of required setback area under the existing code. The applicant also clarified that Langley Properties is primarily a land investor and typically does not build vertical improvements itself, instead entitling land to make it marketable to end users.

Ordinance referenced: Ordinance No. 745-25 (first reading) — zone change of approximately 110 acres to Light Industrial (LI).