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Council approves four rezonings after public hearings; residents voice infrastructure and privacy concerns
Summary
The council approved four zoning and planned-development requests—heavy commercial storage, a single-family subdivision, a neighborhood-services event venue, and a PD for Rustic Oaks phase two—after public hearings that included objections about drainage, aging water lines and neighborhood privacy.
Longview City Council approved four zoning applications on April 9 after public hearings that included both applicant presentations and resident objections. The approvals covered: 1) rezoning a Sabine Street parcel from agricultural to heavy commercial for small warehouse and covered trailer/RV/boat storage (applicant Abel Engineering); 2) rezoning a property near Spring Hill Road and Myers Street from agricultural to single-family-4 for a proposed subdivision (applicant David Gable); 3) rezoning a parcel to neighborhood services to allow a forest wedding/event venue (Chapel on the Ridge, owner Karen Peden); and 4) a planned-development amendment (PD 2601) to add 28 single-family lots as phase two of Rustic Oaks.
The Spring Hill application (Z2606) drew the most public concern. Kevin Braswell, a neighbor, urged denial, saying the change would "drastically reduce privacy, increase traffic congestion, and create safety concerns" and could cause drainage and flooding issues. Another nearby resident, Shanitra Shaw, raised infrastructure concerns, noting portions of the neighborhood rely on decades-old water lines and lack sidewalks and robust drainage. Developer representatives said the plan includes a detention pond to mitigate peak runoff and that nearby sewer connections exist; staff said development will be required to provide buffering and meet engineering and development standards.
Planning staff recommended approval for all requests; council members discussed infrastructure and inspection commitments during construction and approved the rezoning and PD motions after the hearings. Where residents raised specific issues (water, drainage, sidewalks), staff said the city would monitor and enforce development conditions during the permitting and construction phases.
