Council hears rezone request for 31.82 acres on East Fifth Street; survey boundary must be corrected before approval

Kelly Schroeder, the city planner, presented the Elmwood rezone (PL-25-24/Ordinance 20298), a request to change 31.82 acres in the 900 block of East Fifth Street from R-1 (residential) to B-1 (business) to allow multifamily residential and potential future commercial development.

Schroeder said the site is currently unplatted and lies atop Tank Hill with Interstate 90 to the east. She said adjacent zoning includes B-2 and B-1 to the north and east and R-1 to the south. Schroeder said the future land use map designates the area for residential use and that staff understands the applicant’s intent is to develop multifamily units compatible with that map, while the B-1 zoning would also allow certain commercial uses.

Schroeder told council staff has been reviewing an associated subdivision and identified errors in the boundary on the rezone exhibit; staff will recommend that the Planning Commission recommend approval to council with the condition that the applicant revise and resubmit the legal description and exhibit stamped by a licensed surveyor prior to final council approval.

Council members asked about utility capacity and whether the rezone should accelerate sewer or other infrastructure upgrades along East Fifth Street. Schroeder said the applicant provided flow data and received a will-serve letter from the utilities department indicating capacity; she noted that utilities review during subdivision review would further clarify service ability. A city staff speaker said the utilities department monitors flows and plans projects to be ready when development requires them.

The transcript records staff presentation and council questions; no final council action on the ordinance was recorded in the study-session minutes.