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Planning Commission recommends denying rezoning for Cemetery Road manufactured-home subdivision
Summary
The Planning Commission recommended denial of a rezoning request for property on Cemetery Road that developers said could house roughly 55–60 modular homes; commissioners cited precedent, density next to park/open space and long-term maintenance concerns.
The Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of a rezoning request for property on Cemetery Road after extended testimony from the applicants and questions from commissioners. The applicants, who spoke as a development team led by Alex Nolan and Mike Owens, sought to rezone the parcel to allow a modular/manufactured-home subdivision they said could yield roughly 55–60 lots after accounting for a gas easement and floodplain.
Alex Nolan told the commission the original concept of 88 lots was reduced "because of a massive gas easement that runs directly up the guts of the property as well as flood zone," and said engineers now estimate a maximum of about 60 lots. Nolan also contrasted the cost of stick-built housing with the proposed approach: "A single-family residence is gonna cost $431,000 ... That is not affordable housing," he said, arguing the proposed development’s $250,000–$300,000 price range would be more attainable for households earning about $50,000 a year.
Mike Owens, who addressed design and management, said the development would be homeownership-focused, not rentals: "These homes are not a trailer park community. Every single home ... will be a homeowner, it'll be a landowner," he said, and described plans for an HOA, landscaping and a perimeter fence.
Commissioners raised several concerns, including whether approving an R-4-style rezoning next to a cemetery, parks and other low-density uses would set a precedent that could invite speculative sales and future development inconsistent with the area’s future land-use designation. One commissioner said past rezoning approvals had been sold and later redeveloped in ways the commission did not intend. Another member questioned market demand at the price points proposed.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend denial of the rezoning request; the motion carried with a unanimous recorded recommendation to deny. The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council, which is scheduled to consider the matter next week.
