Planning commission backs rezoning of 252–254 East Simpson Avenue to public/semi‑public

The Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 19 recommended approval of a zoning map amendment to rezone 252 and 254 East Simpson Avenue from Office‑Residential (OR) to Public/Semi‑Public (PSP).

Mister Valentine, the town planner presenting the item, told the commission the county purchased the two lots in 2021 and that the rezoning request is an official map change with no physical development proposed at this meeting. "They're seeking to change the zoning from office residential... to public, semi public," Valentine said, and staff recommended approval based on the findings in the staff report.

Commissioners asked whether county ownership effectively guarantees rezoning. A commissioner warned that it can appear that "the county can buy anything" and bypass public processes, saying that when the county previously purchased property it soon came before planning with building permits already underway. Jason Burnham, the county's representative and project manager, replied that the rezoning is not tied to the temporary modular court trailers and that a prior permit issue on a different county project was a processing error. "There was not an intention," Burnham said of any deliberate shortcut; he said the county would have handled permits differently in hindsight.

Burnham and staff said the trailers are temporary support for a Justice Center project. The demolition of the existing courthouse is planned to start this winter with an overall schedule of about 2½ years; the county and applicant said they expect to complete the new courthouse around 2028 and will remove the trailers within 60 days of occupancy.

Staff also clarified that recent LDR (land development regulation) text changes removed one former finding related to comprehensive-plan consistency, and that the remaining three findings are the operative standards for map amendments.

After limited discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend approval of P25‑156, the motion was seconded, and the commission voted to pass the recommendation to the Town Council. The council must conduct a final review and decision; if the council approves the amendment it would usually take three ordinance readings to finalize the change.

The town staff summary and the applicant's statements indicate the rezoning is intended to align these county‑owned lots with adjacent public uses and to ensure future development in the area proceeds under PSP rules, which typically subject most uses to conditional‑use review and public hearings.

Next steps: the commission's approval is a recommendation to the Town Council, which will hold its own hearings and ordinance readings before the rezoning becomes final.