Commission denies outdoor recreation special use at Centennial Drive over safety, parking concerns

The Planning Commission on Sept. 2 denied a special use and related parking variance for an outdoor recreation facility proposed at 2196 Centennial Drive. Applicants told the commission the facility would operate seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., stagger games over several hours and typically have one car per player with an estimated maximum of about 20 cars at any given time. Commissioners said the site’s location and likely parking configuration posed safety risks for children and neighbors and voted to deny the requests 3-1 (Commissioner Davidson opposed).

Presenters included Dani Blumenthal and applicant representatives Juan Carlos Lomas-Vital and Leonardo Maeebo Saude. Commissioners questioned whether the venue would draw larger events, the degree of industrial traffic nearby and whether shared parking or fencing would mitigate risks. While applicants offered fencing and staggered scheduling and noted activities would occur mostly on weekends, commissioners concluded the location is inappropriate for the proposed use. Motion: deny special use and parking variance (mover: André Castleberry; second: Frank Sosebee; vote: 3-1, Hunt absent).