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Developer urges permanent I-1 zoning for former Van Born Kmart; residents and planning consultant urge denial
Summary
A developer representative said permanent I-1 zoning for the former Kmart site at 21111 Van Born would allow marketing the site when Ford moves out in 2027; planning staff and residents said the Van Born Gateway Overlay favors commercial, walkable uses and expressed concern about industrial uses near homes. Council requested the overlay map and further materials before a final vote.
The council held a first-reading receive-and-file on a rezoning petition for 21111 Van Born (parcel in the former Kmart/Masco area) to change from B-2 (regional commercial) to I-1 (light industrial). Planning staff and the planning consultant recommended denial, saying the city’s master plan and the Van Born Gateway Overlay adopt standards favoring commercial and walkable development and that infrastructure and adjacent uses may not be compatible with large-scale industrial activity.
Conrad Shewey, representing the property owner BKG Van Born LLC, said the site previously received a conditional rezoning tied to a tenant (Ford) and argued that I-1 is a marketable and appropriate classification—he described I-1 as lower-impact industrial (warehousing and light assembly) and said the owner's strategy is to avoid a long vacancy when Ford leaves in 2027. Shewey also told council he could not find an official overlay zoning map, arguing that a text-only overlay without a map raises legal questions.
Residents and neighbors urged the council to deny permanent I-1 zoning, citing proximity to homes, potential for incompatible uses and the need for buffering and berms. The planning commission and consultant recommended denial at public hearing; the council asked staff to confirm whether a conditional rezoning still remains possible under the overlay and to provide the overlay map and other materials ahead of the second reading.
