Planning commission recommends approval of ‘Project Cougar’ rezoning for Rainer Road site

The Garner Planning Commission voted 6–1 on August 11 to recommend approval of CZ25001, a tier‑1 conditional district rezoning for roughly 127.98 acres at 5100 Rainer Road known in staff materials as “Project Cougar.” The commission’s recommendation and draft consistency statement will be forwarded to Garner Town Council for a final decision.

Staff presented CZ25001 as a consolidation of existing Commercial Mixed Use (CMX), light industrial and a small heavy industrial conditional area into a single Light Industrial‑conditional zoning district, with one written condition that locates office uses near the northwest corner of the parcel. The application identifies 25 permitted uses out of 44 allowed in the LI conditional district and does not include a site‑specific master plan because the case is a tier‑1 rezoning submitted under confidentiality for an active economic recruitment effort.

Nate Gruber, the town’s economic development director, told the commission the recruitment is confidential but that council has met company…