McAlester council sends contested rezoning back to planning commission after lengthy debate over auto sales and towing

The McAlester City Council on July 22 voted to send a proposed rezoning for a small property at or near 806 North H Street back to the planning commission for further study and recommended code updates, after a lengthy discussion about whether the applicant’s auto sales and towing operations belong in an I‑2 (heavy industrial) zone or a commercial zone.

Planning coordinator Patty Hobbs told the council the application requested a change in classification for “Block 2, Block 188” under general zoning ordinance number 1843, from I‑1 (light industrial) to I‑2 (heavy industrial). Hobbs said staff and the applicant had discussed alternatives, including down‑zoning to a commercial category—C‑4 or C‑5—so the business could operate as an automobile sales lot with towing/recovery as an accessory use.

Hobbs said, “If I‑2 is not something that you would consider, possibly down‑zoning to maybe C‑5 might be a consideration.” She told council that auto sales are allowed in C‑4 and C‑5 but “wrecking” (the code term used in the land development code) is currently allowed only in I‑2. Hobbs recommended the planning commission consider whether wrecking/towing should be added to I‑1 or handled by a special use permit.

Applicant Larry Crawley told the council his business operates as a dealership and a vehicle recovery/impound operation. He said his dealer license was “in limbo” because the current zoning does not allow the activity at that address and that some vehicles on the site are held as impounds. Crawley said, “I have a wrecker license… I’m holding those in my impound yard,” and explained vehicles not claimed within 30 days are disposed of under state processes.

Council members and staff debated three approaches: approve the I‑2 rezoning, deny the rezoning and recommend the applicant pursue C‑4 or C‑5 commercial zoning (with auto sales as the primary use and towing as accessory), or remand the case to the planning commission to propose code changes or a tailored special‑use pathway for small lots with limited outdoor storage. City staff and the council discussed options to limit a code change’s scope—by lot size or numerical limit on outdoor storage—to avoid inadvertently allowing larger salvage yards where the comprehensive plan does not call for industrial uses.

Councilor Stompkins (council title used in the meeting) supported remanding the case to let the planning commission and staff draft recommended code language. After a motion to remand and a roll call vote, the council approved sending the application back to the planning commission with instructions to review classification of wrecking/towing services in the land development code and consider size or permit limits.

The council did not adopt the requested I‑2 rezoning at the meeting. Hobbs told the applicant staff would place the item on a near‑term planning commission agenda and that the city would work quickly to develop a recommended approach.

Why it matters: The decision delays a final rezoning but directs staff and the planning commission to clarify where vehicle recovery, impound, and related storage belong in McAlester’s land‑use code. Councilors repeatedly noted the property’s small size (roughly 19,000 square feet was discussed during the hearing) and the potential for unintended consequences if wrecking/towing were broadly added to I‑1 or other districts without size‑ or intensity‑based limits.

What’s next: The planning commission will review the case and return a recommendation to the council; staff said it is likely to appear on an upcoming agenda within weeks for further council consideration.