Riverdale planning commission forwards negative recommendation on CarMax rezoning

Riverdale City Planning Commission members voted on March 10, 2026 to forward a negative recommendation to the City Council on a proposed general plan amendment and rezoning that would allow a CarMax sales lot at 671 West 4400 South.

Kristen Cowan, representing Centerpoint Integrated Solutions on behalf of CarMax, asked the commission to change the parcel’s future land-use designation from attached residential to commercial and rezone roughly 5.51 acres from R4 (multi-family residential) to C3 (commercial). Cowan described CarMax as a large national used-car retailer and said the site’s location along Riverdale Road and adjacent commercial zoning make it suitable for a sales facility. “We request a favorable recommendation and concur with the staff report,” Cowan said.

Planning staff, speaking after the applicant, reviewed state-code and general-plan consistency criteria and recommended a positive finding to the council, with a modification to include an adjacent parking parcel on the map. The staff presentation noted the site’s role as a transition area between Riverdale Road’s commercial corridor and the residential neighborhoods north of 4400 South.

Commissioners focused their discussion on two main concerns: the loss of scarce multifamily (R4) land that planners and commissioners have previously identified as a strategy in the city’s moderate-income housing plan, and the range of uses permitted in the C3 zone. One commissioner asked whether the city is required to maintain a moderate-income housing plan under the Land Use Development and Management Act; staff replied that the city is required to have a plan and that an amendment to the plan would be needed if the R4 parcel were removed as a strategy.

Several commissioners said they were wary of converting R4 to C3 because multifamily zoning is limited in the city. One commissioner, noting the tradeoffs, said their “favorite commercial use is car lots because they’re a solid tax base” but also acknowledged the scarcity of multifamily zoning. Another commissioner said they were not in favor of placing a car lot at this location and cited the general plan’s intention to use multifamily as a buffer between high-intensity commercial corridors and single-family neighborhoods.

Staff also told commissioners the city has a draft agreement with the applicant that would obligate the developer to complete permitting and related development obligations within 12 months of a council rezoning action; if the developer does not meet that obligation, the council would retain authority to change the zoning later. That interim agreement was described as similar to one used on another nearby project.

Citing incompatibility with the goals and policies of Riverdale’s general plan and concerns about housing supply and permitted C3 uses (for example, tobacco/smoke shops, check-cashing, payday-loan businesses and pawn shops are allowed in C3), Commissioner Cody moved to forward a negative recommendation to City Council on the general plan amendment. The motion passed on a roll call with Commissioners Kerry, Hendra, Hilton, Hansen and Herman recorded as voting yes and Commissioner Francis recorded as voting no. The commission then forwarded a negative recommendation on the associated zoning map amendment.

The commission’s recommendation is advisory; the City Council will make the final decisions on the general plan amendment and rezoning. The record at the Planning Commission includes the applicant presentation, staff analysis recommending approval with a map modification, and the commission’s negative recommendation to the council.