Wendell board approves rezoning for 8 townhomes after tense public hearing; vote 3–2

Wendell — After a two‑hour public hearing and extensive public comment, the Wendell Town Board voted 3–2 to rezone a small parcel at the corner of Wendell Falls Parkway and Cook Street to a Downtown Mixed Use Conditional District, allowing a developer to build eight townhome units.

Planner presentation and proposed conditions

Planning staff introduced Conditional District 2402 and said the applicant proposed eight townhomes, rear‑loaded garages accessed from an internal alley, and a set of nine zoning conditions offered by the developer. The conditions included a 15‑foot landscape buffer with a 6‑foot stained wood privacy fence along the western lot line, a three‑story height limit, fiber‑cement siding (vinyl not permitted), at least one window per floor on end units, 20×20 garages sized to park two vehicles, and an exemption from the town’s 0.5 connectivity index because of the site’s infill location. Staff reported the plan shows roughly 1,500 square feet of on‑site open space and that the developer requested a fee in lieu to satisfy the…