Planning Commission approves Wildwood resurvey, plans for downtown zoning code hearing

The Planning Commission had a short meeting on Aug. 6, as a much-discussed rezoning request for a mixed-use development in Rosedale was withdrawn.

The one other case of the night was a resurvey at 259 Lakeshore Parkway to subdivide one lot in the Wildwood Shopping Center, near the Starbucks, into two. A representative for the shopping center said the subdivision would create a 1-acre outparcel that would be more attractive to potential commercial tenants.

The Planning Commission approved the case unanimously. In addition, the commission had two votes related to an upcoming discussion of the city's changes to the downtown zoning code after an extensive master planning process.

First, the commission set a public hearing to consider a zoning amendment allowing the city not to individually post notices about the rezoning on every business within the affected downtown radius, as that includes several hundred property owners and would take a long time. 

Senior Planning Technician Donna Bridges said this only applies to city-initiated rezonings, not property owner requests, and there are few projects of this kind of scale. Downtown property owners would still be informed about the public hearings related to the downtown zoning code.

“We probably won’t ever see this again,” Bridges said.

The hearing to consider this change to city procedures will be at the Sept. 3 Planning Commission meeting.

Additionally, the Planning Commission voted to change its Nov. 5 meeting date to Nov. 12 to have more members present for the discussion of the changes to the downtown zoning code. More information on the proposed changes to the code can be found at heartofhomewoodplan.com.