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Public opposes AG rezoning; Planning commission continues hearing on countywide rezoning to Dec. 9
Summary
A resident urged commissioners not to "force" a townwide conversion of rural residential parcels greater than 20 acres to an Agricultural zoning district; after the comment period, the commission voted unanimously to continue the public hearing on case 25-ZCA00003 to Dec. 9 so additional notice and public input can be collected.
The Planning and Zoning Commission opened a public hearing on case 25-ZCA00003, a proposal to rezone rural residential parcels larger than 20 acres to an Agricultural (AG) zoning district, and continued the hearing to Dec. 9 after a resident criticized the change and staff cited delayed mailed notices.
Town staff told the commission the AG district was created by ordinance in October 2022 and is the default zoning for newly annexed properties. Staff said the proposed rezoning is intended to better implement the Northlake comprehensive plan's rural-reserve policies by preserving larger lots and open space and by serving as a holding zone for newly annexed land. Staff described options for landowners, including clustering, conservation residential overlay and plan development processes that could achieve one-home-per-five-acre densities while preserving open space.
Resident Rena Hardiman, who identified herself as a Northlake resident, told the commission she received the mailed notice on Saturday and had less than 72 hours to review materials. She said she opposed the AG zoning district as adopted in October 2022 because it "did nothing for us as true ag people" and objected to what she described as prior rezonings (she cited the Pecan Square example) where developers obtained denser development against the preferences of local respondents. "This is a denial of of our private property rights," Hardiman said, and she asked the commission not to "force" the AG district on landowners.
Staff told the commission some notices had been delayed in the mail; out of an abundance of caution staff recommended the commission open the hearing and continue it to Dec. 9 so the commission would not act tonight and so affected property owners would have additional time to comment. Commissioners agreed and voted unanimously to continue the hearing to Dec. 9. The item remains scheduled for Town Council consideration on Dec. 11 if the commission chooses to act following the continued hearing.
The commission adjourned at 06:06.
