Council denies rezoning for 1913 Steele Street after debate on topography and future city needs

Monroe City Council voted on July 8 to deny a rezoning request to change the zoning of 1913 Steele Street from General Industrial to Residential Low Density.

Planning staff (Megan Breithardt) presented the request and explained the parcel’s context: the property contains one residential structure, lies north of Steele Street and east of Jones Street, and is near parcels zoned industrial as part of a prior citywide rezoning. Planning staff said the land-use designation is “traditional development” and that staff believes the requested rezoning is consistent with the land-use plan; the planning board split 3–3 on recommending the rezoning. The applicant’s representative, Brian Medlin, described family ownership, the presence of an elderly occupant in the existing home and difficulties marketing the property while zoned industrial.

Council members discussed feasibility, topography and the parcel’s proximity to city public-enterprise operations. City staff told council that while some nearby parcels have been reviewed for possible public-enterprise expansion, there is not an active acquisition of this specific parcel. Council members expressed differing views: some said rezoning to residential low density would make a difficult-to-sell parcel marketable and support family owners; others said rezoning solely to enable a sale is not an adequate public-interest reason and flagged potential future need for industrial use related to a nearby facilities expansion. After discussion, council voted to deny the land-use/rezoning request and the related land-use compliance resolution.