Council rejects rezoning of Jones Avenue parcel after wetlands, parking and use questions

The City of Niceville City Council on second reading voted down an ordinance to rezone a roughly 1.19-acre parcel on Jones Avenue from PCI (public/civic/institutional) to C1 (limited commercial).

The request (Ordinance 25-10-01) was read into the record by staff; planner Chris said no public comments or changes had been received since first reading. Council members questioned whether the rezoning would allow the applicant to host food trucks and raised concerns about wetlands and existing unpermitted parking on the site. "If they are purely mobile in nature ... state law doesn't allow us to restrict where they're located in the city," Chris said, noting stationary, utility-dependent vendors would require additional review.

Council members then took a series of roll-call votes. When asked, Mr. Tolbert voted "no," Mr. Chastell voted "yes," Mr. Schellinger voted "no," and Mr. Stauffer voted "yes," producing a 2–2 split. The mayor announced, "Well, the bottom line is it fails." The ordinance therefore did not pass on second reading.

Why it matters: The parcel is partly mapped as wetland, and council members said any future development will still have to clear standard development-review steps, including flood mitigation and utility approvals. Staff noted existing gravel parking on the lot has not been formally approved and that any commercial use would need to satisfy flood-line and utility requirements.

What happens next: Because the rezoning failed on second reading, the property's official zoning remains PCI. Any future application would require a new filing or an appeal at a later meeting; staff told the council that standard development-review procedures and flood mitigation would apply to any proposed use.

Speakers quoted in this article are those who addressed this agenda item during the meeting.