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Port Arthur staff to correct zoning map near Savannah and Fifth Street after loan denial
Summary
Planning staff told the commission they will remove a small area near Savannah and Fifth Street from commercial zoning and restore residential zoning after a lender declined a purchase because the lot was zoned commercial despite being mostly homes.
Planning staff told the Port Arthur Planning and Zoning Commission on May 19 that staff will propose a zoning map correction near Savannah and Fifth Street to change parcels currently listed as commercial back to residential.
Staff said the area is now classified commercial but is "nothing but homes" on the ground. The change was prompted after a prospective buyer was unable to obtain a mortgage because the lender would not issue a loan on a parcel in a commercial district. Planning staff said they conducted a windshield survey of the area to identify parcels that should be returned to residential zoning and that they will return to P&Z with a map and details.
Speaking during the staff report, a planning staff member said, "We're just gonna cut this part of it out of commercial zoning and put back to residential." Commission discussion noted the city's earlier ordinance changes stopped allowing residences in commercial districts and that lenders are concerned about rebuilding restrictions: if a residence is damaged more than 50 percent, the ordinance may prevent rebuilding in a commercial zone, which contributed to the lender's decision.
Staff said they will outline the suggested map corrections and present them at a future meeting so the commission can consider the specific parcels and the technical details required to make the change.
