Planning commission recommends denial of rezoning request at 612 Michael Drive

The Everman Planning and Zoning Commission voted March 3 to recommend denial of Zoning Case 5191, a request to rezone 612 Michael Drive from C1 (Neighborhood Commercial) to C2 (General Commercial). The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Everman City Council for final consideration at its March 10 meeting.

A city staff member told commissioners the request was inconsistent with nearby A2 residential zoning, lacked a buffer between the residential lots and the property, and did not align with Community Development Commission strategic initiatives; for those reasons staff recommended denial. The staff presentation identified the applicant as George Figueroa of Uno Real Estate LLC and listed the current zoning, the requested zoning, and the parcel address, 612 Michael Drive.

Applicant George Figueroa, who said he purchased the property about two years ago, told the commission he has 21 years of experience in the pawn industry and currently manages multiple shops. “I purchased this property about two years ago now and I’ve had on the market for lease trying to rent it out for the actual proposed zoning that it’s currently under and no luck,” Figueroa said. He said planned hours of operation would be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., that the adjacent parking lot belongs to the property, and that “everything that is ran through a pawn shop goes straight to the police department every single night,” citing nightly transaction reporting as a crime-prevention measure.

Resident Miriam Davila, of 109 Corey Road, urged denial and said C2 zoning would permit higher-intensity uses — such as car washes, gyms, bars and department stores — that she said would increase lighting, noise and parking pressures and harm neighborhood safety and property values. “This change invites directly impacting the homes in the neighborhood,” Davila said, asking the commission to “consider keeping this location a C1 to protect the integrity, safety, [and] residential quality of our neighborhood.”

Commissioners focused discussion on the long-term effect of a zoning change. Several members noted that rezoning to C2 would allow many different commercial uses by right and that a favorable decision would not guarantee that a future operator would maintain the standards the current applicant described. A city staff member explained the site was too small to qualify for a planned development zoning designation — typically reserved for parcels around four acres — and cautioned that a C2 designation on this block could amount to spot zoning within an otherwise C1 corridor.

After deliberation a commissioner moved to recommend denial; the motion was seconded and passed by voice/hand vote. The commission made clear the recommendation is advisory: the final zoning decision rests with the Everman City Council at its March 10 meeting. Staff said it will continue to work with the applicant on options compatible with the city’s redevelopment initiatives if the owner wishes to pursue alternatives.

The commission adjourned at 6:28 p.m.