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Everman council denies rezoning request for 612 Michael Drive after resident objections
Summary
The council voted down a request to rezone 612 Michael Drive from C1 to C2 after staff and residents raised compatibility concerns with adjacent housing. Applicant George Figureroa said he wants to use part of the building for a pawn shop and pledged regulatory compliance; council rejected the change (Ordinance 849) and offered to help the owner explore alternatives.
Council members denied a rezoning request for 612 Michael Drive (Case 5191) on March 10, ending a proposal that would have changed the parcel from C1 (neighborhood commercial) to C2 (general commercial).
The applicant, George Figureroa, told the council he has owned the building for two years and has struggled to lease the space. "I've had it completely gutted, invested money into the property," Figureroa said, and said his plan was to occupy roughly half the building with a pawn shop while leasing the remainder. He said a pawn-shop operator he runs in other cities would follow required reporting and licensing procedures.
Staff and the Planning & Zoning commission recommended denial. The staff presentation said C2 zoning "is generally not compatible with immediately abutting residential" uses and that the city's original TIF/project plan language had been overly specific; staff recommended a more general project plan framework for TIF projects. The staff summary emphasized that the rezoning request must be judged on all permissible C2 uses — not only the applicant's stated intent.
A nearby resident opposed the change, saying the building would be hard to see from Everman Parkway, would increase traffic behind adjacent houses and could depress property values. "How do we know that the merchandise that he takes in is not stolen?" the resident asked, and she urged that the owner add an eight-foot fence if the zoning were approved.
Figureroa rebutted by describing daily reporting requirements for pawn shops: "Every serial number that we intake every single day…goes straight to the police. It's called LeadsOnline," he said, adding that pawn shops are regulated by state rules and federal oversight for certain transactions. He also said typical hours would be roughly 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and estimated average daily transactions in Everman would be about 25–40.
After public comment and council deliberation, a motion to approve Ordinance No. 849 (rezoning the roughly 0.492-acre parcel) was made and failed on roll call. Council offered to help the property owner explore alternatives and economic-development resources rather than approve a zoning category with uses staff judged incompatible with nearby residences.
The public hearing on the zoning change was opened earlier in the meeting and closed before the council vote. The denial preserves the current C1 designation for 612 Michael Drive; staff and the applicant indicated they would continue discussions about possible nonrezoning options to make the property productive.
