APC backs M‑2 rezoning for St. Joseph Avenue storage yard after neighbor talks and screening commitments

The Area Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend rezoning 4220 and 4400 North Saint Joseph Avenue from C‑4 (with an earlier UDC) to M‑2 with a new use‑and‑development commitment to permit multi‑tenant indoor and outdoor commercial storage.

Applicant representatives said the new UDC would limit many M‑2 uses and include site commitments. James McCullough, one of the applicants, described the intended users as primarily small contractors who need lay‑down yards and parking for trucks and equipment. Matt Layman of Sun Consulting and architect/agent told the commission the proposal includes a 2‑foot berm topped by a 6‑foot opaque fence along the south property line and a tree buffer on the north/creek side; the design also preserves the wooded area near Locust Creek and Bridal Park.

Staff noted the 2035 plan recommends mixed uses and flagged the site’s proximity to Locust Creek and adjacent single‑family homes as compatibility concerns; staff recommended that the UDC include adequate buffering. The applicant acknowledged that the property was operating under a temporary certificate of occupancy and that several items required for a final certificate were not yet complete. Neighbors and the applicant described multiple site visits and revisions; a nearby resident, Brian Gatewood, told the commission he and McCullough had met and agreed on landscaping and the preservation of a tree line in the creek area.

Commissioners emphasized that the submitted site plan and the submitted UDC should align with the variances the applicant also plans to pursue at the Board of Zoning Appeals. A motion to recommend approval included the submitted site plan and UDC commitments; roll call showed six yes votes and zero nos. Staff will forward the APC recommendation and the submitted materials to City Council; the applicant is scheduled to pursue BZA variances for gravel parking and related items.