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Hearing examiner recommends denial of rezoning request for auto sales at 1922 E. 30th St.
Summary
The hearing examiner recommended denial of a petitioner’s request to rezone 1922 East 30th Street from C-4 TOD to C-5 TOD to permit used automobile sales, citing inconsistency with the Purple Line transit-oriented development overlay and staff concerns about site suitability.
Hearing Examiner Jerdie Wirtz Hall recommended denial on May 15, 2025 of a rezoning request for 1922 East 30th Street that would have allowed used automobile sales in a transit-oriented development overlay.
Why it matters: The site lies within the Purple Line TOD (transit-oriented development) overlay near rapid-transit boarding platforms; staff and regional planning agencies oppose auto-sales uses in the overlay because they are not considered transit-supportive or pedestrian-oriented.
Petitioner presentation: Yvonne Humphreys, representing petitioners Rula Ahasid and Rahaf Roman, said the property owner operates an auto repair business at 1922 E. 30th Street and wants to convert to used-car sales to sell vehicles that customers leave behind or cannot afford to repair. Humphreys said the owner’s "goal is to just be auto sales. He no longer wants to repair the cars." She said the owner intends to keep the operation small, "between 8 and 10 cars at a time," and had begun removing vehicles and cleaning up the lot.
Opposition and staff comments: No remonstrators spoke in person, but the record contains written opposition from Indigo (transit operator referenced in the record), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and three nearby residents (Josiah Keller, Clint Unger, and Rachel Walker). The MPO’s letter and Indigo’s letter argued the proposed C-5 use is incompatible with the Purple Line TOD overlay and would undermine walkability and the transit investment. Staff planner Des said the site is 0.37 acre, noted existing code and site constraints (cars parked over the curb and into the sidewalk, dumpster placement in right-of-way), and recommended denial. Des said comment letters placed the site approximately 580–700 feet from nearby Purple Line boarding platforms and noted that car sales is a prohibited use within the TOD overlay within the relevant distance. Des also noted the site lies in groundwater-well protection zones (W‑1 and W‑5) and that current parking, landscaping, and transitional-yard requirements would not be met for a car-sales lot.
Examiner’s finding: After hearing the petitioner and staff, Hearing Examiner Jerdie Wirtz Hall said she appreciated the petitioner’s local stake but concluded that C-5 zoning for auto sales is "not appropriate on this site" and is "inconsistent with the TOD overlay and the comprehensive plan." For those reasons, she said, "I am recommending denial of 2025 ZON025. It will be on the 06/04/2025 docket of the Metropolitan Development Commission."
Next steps: The examiner’s recommendation will be placed on the Metropolitan Development Commission docket for June 4, 2025. Parties wishing to appeal the hearing examiner’s recommendation must file with the Department of Metropolitan Development within five business days of the hearing and provide the required notice to other interested parties.
Context: The site has a history of auto-repair uses; one nearby auto-sales operation was rezoned prior to the TOD overlay’s adoption, but staff said no rezones to C-5 within the TOD overlay have been approved since the overlay was implemented. The petitioner’s representative noted ongoing cleanup but did not produce written commitments sufficient to address staff and MPO concerns.
