Council advances rezone request for Riverstone townhomes, sends revised plan to planning commission

The City Council advanced a rezone request for Tracts 10–12 in the Riverstone development, approving a motion to move the matter forward and asking Planning and Zoning to review an updated plat before the ordinance’s second reading.

The rezone seeks to change the zoning of the parcels from General Business to R-2. Jordan Heffner, representative of Van Busker Companies, told the council the applicant reworked the layout after Planning and Zoning raised access concerns. Heffner said the revised plat shows continuous four-unit townhome blocks with driveways shifted to adjoin commercial tracts at either end of the townhomes and provided an updated exhibit and plat prepared by Midwest Land Surveying.

Council members discussed options including approving the rezone tonight, denying it, or continuing the public hearing to obtain Planning and Zoning’s recommendation. Staff noted the Planning and Zoning commission meets on Thursday and that returning the revised proposal to that body would not require re-noticing the public hearing. The council was also briefed on the schedule for ordinance adoption: a first reading, a second reading, publication and then an effective date 20 days after publication.

The applicant said the residential work was planned to start July 1; staff noted that even if the council approved tonight the ordinance would not be effective before that date because of the required later steps. The council approved a motion described in the record as to “approve the result” and confirmed the revised plan would go back to Planning and Zoning for review and recommendation ahead of the second reading.

No vote tallies by name were recorded in the transcript. The council and applicant discussed that if Planning and Zoning ultimately recommended denial, the council could still vote to deny or modify the rezone at the second reading.