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Midwest City Council rejects rezoning request at 2222 N. Douglas Blvd. after residents oppose apartments
Summary
After hours of public comment and council debate, the Midwest City Council voted to reject a request to rezone 2222 North Douglas Boulevard from an expired planned unit development to medium-density residential, stopping a proposal that staff said could allow up to about 112 dwelling units.
The Midwest City Council voted on March 25 to reject a rezoning request for 2222 North Douglas Boulevard that would have changed the site from an expired planned unit development (PUD) to a medium-density residential (RMD) zoning district.
Planning staff told the council the property’s PUD master plan expired in 2021 and that the owner had applied to rezone the site to a base RMD district so the property would be marketable. Patrick Summers, a planning staff member, told the council the conceptual plan showed seven buildings totaling 112 dwelling units and said RMD allows residential uses at up to 20 units per acre.
The application prompted multiple residents to speak against the rezoning during the public hearing. Gina Johnson, who gave her address and said she represented neighbors in the area, told the council she and other nearby residents had submitted a signed petition opposing apartments and multi-dwelling development. “We’re opposed to apartment complex or multi dwellings,” Johnson said, citing increased traffic, sightline problems pulling onto Douglas and concerns about crime and strain on emergency services.
Eric Masid, a commercial real‑estate broker who said he represented the property owner, told the council the owner’s immediate goal was to rezone the property so it would be more marketable and that there was no firm plan to build immediately. “We don’t have a long‑term goal, we’re just here to zone it so it will be more marketable,” Masid said.
Council discussion focused on compatibility with surrounding uses and the neighborhood’s long history of urging lower‑intensity development. Several council members said the site’s commercial edges and surrounding traffic conditions make single‑family development unlikely, but other council members said resident concerns about density, buffering and long‑term maintenance weighed against granting a more permissive zoning change now.
After discussion and public comment, the council voted to reject the rezoning request. Council members instructed staff that the applicant must return with another plan if they wish to pursue future development. The Planning Commission had recommended approval of the rezoning, but the council’s vote ended the current request.
The council’s action means building permits for the conceptual plan shown in the applicant’s submittal cannot proceed; the property owner may pursue a new master plan or a different zoning application to bring the site back before the Planning Commission and council.
Clarifying details: the application material referenced a concept with seven buildings and 112 dwelling units; medium‑density residential (RMD) allows up to 20 units per acre; staff noted the PUD master plan for the parcel expired in 2021. The transcript records substantial public opposition during the council meeting; the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended approval before the council hearing.
Details of the council roll‑call and individual vote tallies were recorded in the meeting minutes; the council’s final action on this agenda item was to reject the rezoning request.
