Freeport planning panel approves three replats and backs rezoning to allow homeowner to rebuild

The Freeport Planning & Zoning Committee on March approved three replat requests and unanimously recommended that parts of downtown be rezoned from C2 (commercial) to R1 (residential) so an owner may rebuild a home destroyed by fire.

Reggie Harris, the city’s director of building code and the building official, told the committee the replat and rezoning requests either lie within the city limits or the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and "the staff does recommend approval of the reflat subject to compliance with all applicable city of Freeport ordinances and adopted codes." Harris said the requests would not change land use and that there was no financial impact to the city for the replat items presented.

The committee approved: a replat of 2.732 acres dividing the parcel into Lot 1 (1.394 acres) and Lot 2 (1.338 acres); a replat of lots 19–22 in the Velasco townsite into two lots (19A and 21A) at 321 North Avenue C; and a replat of lots 32 and 33 (formerly 32A) in the Demi John Island subdivision at 331 Redfish Drive. Each motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

On the rezoning request, Harris described the property's history and the applicant’s plan. He said the lot had been rezoned commercial after a house fire and that the current owner — who inherited the site from her late father and wants to return — seeks R1 so she can rebuild. "It's always been her vision and her dream to come back and build her home," Harris said. Committee members discussed whether the change would constitute spot zoning and whether to expand the map; one member recommended reclassifying lots 13 through 26 to create a contiguous residential block. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the proposed reclassification to city council.

Committee members raised procedural and clarity issues during discussion: printed plats in the packet were hard to read and several members asked staff to provide color prints or clearer maps in future packets. A committee member referenced requirements in the zoning ordinance (Section 155.1108) saying certain site-plan materials are required for zoning amendments; staff responded that the site plan does exist though it was not included in the meeting packet.

Next steps: the committee’s recommendation on the rezoning will be forwarded to the Freeport City Council for final consideration; no council hearing date was specified at the meeting.