Commission backs rezoning east of Loop for apartment site despite neighborhood opposition

The Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 2 recommended approval of a zone change for about 3.8 acres located east of the Loop and south of Deep Palm Drive, moving the property from R-1 (single-family residential) to R-2 (multifamily residential) for a proposed apartment development.

Staff supported the request and presented public-notice figures; the commission closed the public hearing and approved staff's recommendation by voice vote.

Orlando Nalabo, representing the applicant, said the parcel is a small piece of a larger development called "The Coves" that the applicant is trying to consolidate to a single R-2 zone for future sale. "What we have here is there's a little bit of history. This is the Coves development that we're doing. There was an annexation that had happened for this property and there was a second annexation to bring in this portion of land," Nalabo said. He added the contiguous piece of the development already carries an R‑2 designation and the request is intended to make the zoning consistent across the tract.

Several residents spoke in opposition at the public hearing. Sammy Maya asked commissioners to "consider the vote of the people" and said many neighbors could not attend earlier hearings. Rosie Maya, who said she lives directly adjacent, said the mailed notice referenced apartments and that she distributed flyers to her neighbors. "Schools are already overcrowded in the area, and to bring more population into the area by packing them into apartments could also cause some problem with the schools," Rosie Maya said. She also raised concerns about privacy, crime and property values.

Staff read portions of written opposition and summarized the public response. The transcript records mailing/response figures in staff remarks as: "The letter sent, 35, inside 200 feet, 40 against 17. Outside 200 feet is against 187." (staff reading of the record is unclear in the transcript; numbers quoted here mirror the meeting record). Staff also explained that setbacks and easements affect where buildings could be sited and noted code provisions that increase setbacks if height exceeds certain thresholds.

Commissioners voted to close the hearing and to accept staff's recommendation. The meeting record shows the motion carried on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was read into the transcript.

Why it matters: The rezoning would permit multifamily development adjacent to an existing neighborhood and near local schools. Neighbors raised concerns about traffic, overcrowded schools and property values; the developer said the rezoning aligns the parcel with adjacent R-2 zoning and facilitates a future sale and development.