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Commission denies rezoning request on Fire Tower Road after residents cite wells, traffic and lot‑size concerns
Summary
The commission denied a rezoning application to convert a nonconforming 0.6‑acre lot to S‑1 so it could be subdivided, after multiple residents raised safety, septic and well concerns and a commissioner moved to deny.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted to deny a rezoning request for a small lot on Fire Tower Road in Mandeville after extended public comment and commissioner concern about drainage, wells and neighborhood character.
Staff described the parcel as a 0.6‑acre nonconforming lot in a neighborhood zoned L‑1 (large‑lot residential) and said the petitioner, Nicholas Nelson, proposed a rezoning to S‑1 to split the lot. Dozens of residents attended; several spoke in opposition, citing narrow road geometry, school‑bus safety and reliance on private wells and septic systems. “By putting these S‑1s in is gonna, we think, overpopulate,” one resident told the commission.
Nelson told the commission he already owns the lot and that, if subdivided, his resulting lots would be similar in size to other houses in the neighborhood. Commissioners asked whether existing manufactured homes in the area were compliant; one commissioner advised neighbors to report suspected code violations related to manufactured housing overlays.
Commissioner Robert said he could not support approving a rezoning that might materially change drainage and aquifer risk without thorough packet review. “So I would make a motion to deny,” he said; the motion was seconded and carried.
The denial means the petitioner may pursue other options (adjusting lot layout or seeking a variance) but the commission declined the rezoning request as presented.
