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Contested rezoning at East 101st and South Florence withdrawn after strong neighborhood protest
Summary
An optional development plan to rezone about 9.5 acres at East 101st and South Florence to OL with apartments was withdrawn Sept. 10 after planning staff validated a neighborhood protest petition and councilors engaged in extensive debate over density and precedent.
A rezoning application for about 9.5 acres at the southeast corner of East 101st and South Florence Avenue — a request to change AG and RS3 zoning to OL (office‑light) with an optional development plan (ODP) that would permit multi‑household uses including apartments — drew sustained debate and was withdrawn by the applicant during the Sept. 10 committee meeting.
Planning staff told the committee the current request differs from a prior ODP in that the new plan would allow apartments and other multi‑household formats that had previously been excluded. Staff also reported a validated protest petition signed by surrounding residential owners; planning staff said the petition met the statutory threshold and therefore would require a three‑quarters council vote (7 of 9 councilors) for approval.
Councilors and staff discussed multiple topics during the prolonged exchange: the number of potential units under different development scenarios (staff estimated up to roughly 55 single‑family lots or 110–120 duplex units under prior concepts; the apartment maximum was treated as an architectural/density question rather than a simple zoning numeric cap), the 35‑foot height limit under OL zoning, traffic and school drop‑off congestion on the corridor, precedent from earlier ODPs, and whether optional development plans unduly micromanage future property uses and deter developers.
Councilors cited organized neighborhood opposition and lengthy outreach meetings; staff confirmed the protest petition represented approximately 37 property owners in the parcel radius. Late in the meeting the applicant asked to withdraw the item and the committee removed it from the agenda for that night. Staff advised that if refiled the petition threshold would again apply and that a supermajority vote would be required to change the zoning given the validated protest petition.
No rezoning action was taken at the Sept. 10 meeting because the applicant withdrew the application.
