Temple planning commission denies rezoning for 1252 Connor Lane, leaving future of veterans community center unclear

The Temple Planning and Zoning Commission on May 19 denied a rezoning request for 0.16 acres at 1252 Connor Lane that had been proposed to change the property from planned-development single-family attached (PD SF-3) to Office-1, leaving the future use of a vacant community center unclear. The motion to deny the rezoning (case FY-25-13-ZC) carried by recorded vote: 7 ayes, 1 abstention.

Senior Planner Shelby Smith presented the staff report and recommended approval of the Office-1 zoning, telling commissioners the proposed district "does permit low-rise garden-type office development, providing professional, financial, medical and other services to residents in nearby neighborhoods" and that the request is consistent with the comprehensive plan and available utilities. Smith also noted that Office-1 would still allow a community center as a permitted use.

The rezoning request was the subject of a lengthy public hearing. Several speakers who identified themselves as veterans or representatives of Veterans Outreach Ministry described the community center’s history and the way volunteers and nonprofit partners had used and maintained the facility. "We worked tirelessly in the rain, in the cold, in the Texas heat for our veterans," said Mary Grace Sellers, who identified herself as founder of Veterans Outreach Ministry and a U.S. Marine.…