Derby council denies zone change for 39.8-acre site at 50th and Woodlawn after weeks of debate and public opposition

The Derby City Council voted 6-1 on Oct. 28 to deny a proposed zone change that would have reclassified a roughly 39.8-acre parcel at the southwest corner of 50th Street South and Woodlawn Boulevard from R1A (urban density single-family) to R2 (two-family residential).

The denial came after more than an hour of public comment, testimony from city staff and the applicant’s agent, and repeated council discussion about flooding, traffic, and neighborhood character. Council President Nick Engel moved to override the planning commission’s recommendation and deny the zone change, saying the proposed density and acreage did not fit the character of the surrounding area; the motion carried 6-1.

The proposal would have applied R2 zoning to most of a 50.8-acre tract, with the subject site described in staff materials as 39.8 acres of that parcel. City Planner Scott Knebel told the council the applicant’s sketch showed five types of two-family dwellings (one- and two-story homes, three- to five-bedroom units) and that the houses would be built “with no basements.” Knebel and staff noted the site contains portions of…