Council passes first reading to rezone 801 Columbia Avenue for club expansion

Glasgow City Council on Monday approved on first reading an ordinance to rezone the property at 801 Columbia Avenue, approximately 2.409 acres, from R-1 (low-density residential) to B-2 (general business) to permit expansion for the Boys and Girls Club.

Kevin, a city staff member who explained the proposal to the council, said the bulk of the parcel is already zoned commercial and the portion subject to rezoning will be required to meet landscaping, buffering, parking and fire-protection standards when a development plan is submitted. "The item that you have in front of you is for the Boys and Girls Club," Kevin said during the discussion.

Rich Alexander read the ordinance and noted that a due-process hearing on June 15 by the Joint City-County Planning and Zoning Commission produced a unanimous recommendation that the council approve the rezoning; the ordinance incorporates a site drawing (Exhibit A) and the commission's findings (Exhibit B). The ordinance states future development must comply with the city's development-plan ordinance adopted by the Glasgow City Council on Dec. 30, 1991.

The chair called the question and the council recorded a voice vote; the first reading passed after members answered "Aye." The ordinance language says it will take effect upon passage and publication according to law; the council did not record a second-reading date in the meeting record.

The rezoning will allow the Boys and Girls Club to submit a development plan showing building layout, drive aisles, parking and any required buffer to neighboring residential properties. The council's action at this meeting was the statutory first reading; any final approval will follow applicable notice and second-reading procedures.