Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning Desoto C2 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge caution as commission recommends against forwarding 78‑acre C2 rezoning for De Soto annexation
Summary
After multiple public comments opposing commercial rezoning, the planning commission voted to deny forwarding a request to rezone 78 acres recently annexed into De Soto from RUR to C2, citing inconsistency with some staff findings and concerns about utilities and buffering.
The De Soto Planning Commission voted to deny forwarding a request to rezone about 78 acres recently annexed into the city from RUR to C2 (general commercial), after several residents spoke during a public hearing urging preservation of farmland and stronger buffering.
Planning staff explained the applicant (GW Weld) requested C2 zoning for two tracts north of K‑10 along Evening Star Road following recent annexation. Staff said the change is consistent with the future land use plan but noted utilities are not yet in place and the area is not ready for immediate development.
Multiple nearby residents spoke against the change. Penny Von Aachen (speaker 5) told the commission the family has farmed adjacent land since 1950 and that the land provides flood mitigation, carbon sequestration and food production. "Please consider the true value of land before we destroy another 78 acres right in the middle of an agricultural area," she said.
Megan Russell (speaker 6) and other neighbors raised concerns about light pollution from nearby warehouses, livestock disruption and the difficulty of obtaining utilities in the area. Commissioners discussed whether full rezoning of the entire tract to C2 was appropriate at this stage, and whether adequate buffering and utilities could be ensured.
A motion to deny recommending the rezoning to the City Council was made on the record with specific findings: disagreement with staff findings A and B and emphasis on the negative finding F regarding utilities. A roll call produced a majority in favor and the motion carried. The commission's decision is a recommendation to the City Council; the council will make the final decision on the annexation and rezoning.
