Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
After resident objections, Waterville council sends R2→R1 rezoning request back to Planning & Zoning
Summary
Neighbors spoke against an R2-to-R1 zoning change on Cedar Circle over concerns about traffic, flood risk and housing density; the council voted 3-1 to return the petition to Planning & Zoning for further review rather than approving or denying it outright.
The Waterville City Council on May 6 took no final rezoning action on a petition to change several Cedar Circle parcels from R2 to R1, instead voting 3-1 to send the request back to the Planning & Zoning Commission for further review.
Planning & Zoning had recommended the change. At the council public hearing several residents questioned the proposal’s impact on neighborhood character, traffic on dead-end Buchannon Street, potential flood and fill concerns, and whether a dock shown in prior plans would be approved by state regulators. Councilmember Jennifer Grobe read neighbors’ written concerns; Dave Schwirtz and Mark Hawthorne said the lots historically supported single-family dwellings and feared multi-unit development would not fit the area.
Property owner Mr. Mooney addressed the council and said it was not his intention to mislead neighbors and that he wants to complete the planned unit development process he began several years ago, but he acknowledged engineering work remains and that final plans are not complete.
City Attorney Jason Moran cautioned against spot zoning, saying if the council changes only some lots it could invite a legal challenge, and explained that a Planned Unit Development (PUD) is the appropriate route for proposals that increase density on a site. A motion to deny the rezoning request failed for lack of a second. A subsequent motion by Councilmember Tim Smith to return the petition to Planning & Zoning for reevaluation passed 3-1, with Councilmember Grobe opposed.
The council had earlier approved a first reading of Ordinance 150.03-2025, but because neighbors raised new concerns during the public hearing the governing body opted to seek additional input from the Planning & Zoning Commission before taking final action.
