Greenwood council unanimously rejects rezoning request for East Center Street

The Greenwood City Council voted unanimously July 6 to reject a rezoning request that would have changed a lot on East Center Street from C2 (commercial) to I1 (industrial).

Planning staff described a revised site plan that would retain two C2 frontage lots and locate storage units behind those lots with a required 50-foot rear buffer where the property abuts existing R1 residences. The applicant's engineer said the layout was revised to reduce the visual impact from the highway and retain commercial frontage for customers.

Several council members argued the rezoning would remove sales-tax-generating frontage along a major corridor and risk introducing future industrial uses next to a dense residential area. One council member warned that converting prime C2 frontage to industrial "defeats the whole purpose of zoning commercial" and said the change offered no clear financial benefit to the city.

Supporters of the application said the site includes two front lots sized for commercial use and that storage buildings would be screened, with an office/entrance at the highway frontage. Planning staff said the Planning Commission voted to approve the revised plan contingent on property sale and noted the 50-foot buffer requirement.

After extended discussion on buffers, traffic, and long-term land-use risk, a motion to reject the ordinance passed with all council members voting in favor.

Why it matters: the decision preserves commercial zoning along a primary sales corridor and reflects council concern about balancing tax generation and neighborhood compatibility. The council noted that neighbors within the 300-foot notification area were informed and that the Planning Commission had reviewed the application.