Two rezoning requests received the approval of the City Of Sulphur Springs Planning and Zoning Commission Monday evening, and will now be recommended to Sulphur Springs City Council for consideration.
South Hillcrest Drive
Larry and Linda Evans asked that their property at 1340 South Hillcrest Drive be rezoned from single family to heavy commercial to better fit the existing uses and potential use of the 0.9-acre property along the State Highway 19/I-30/Loop 301 corridor.
This request is similar to one made previously by Donnie and Allen Wisenbaker to rezone property on Rockdale Drive to commercial to fit current and potential future use of the property. Essentially, when property in the area of Wildcat Way was annexed into the city, some properties received a single family place holder designation. The Wisenbaker request was approved at the April 2021 City Council meeting, the first held in person in months due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions.
The property currently is surrounded by a mix of zoning designations, from light commercial to the north, east and south; and heavy to light commercial to the west. City staff recommended heavy commercial as an appropriate use given the context of the area, Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski noted.
City staff sent three certified letters to surrounding property owners within 200 feet of 1340 South Hillcrest Drive. They received no response at all either in favor, opposed or undetermined regarding the rezoning request.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the request, and will now be sending the request to the City Council with a recommendation for approval during the regular May 2021 council meeting.
Rockdale Road
Charles Sickles also submitted a request to rezone 2.5 acres of property at 1079 Rockdale Road and 1084 Rockdale Road from single family to heavy commercial.
Sickles currently operates body shop facilities on the properties, which have split zoning across property lines on the lots. In order to clean up the zoning, Sickles asked that the property be zoned heavy commercial, which is consistent with the body shop use, which the property frontage is zoned.
Surrounding the Rockdale Road property is a mix of zoning designations, heavy commercial to the west and south, and single family to the north and east. Niewiadomski noted in the city agenda report, that rezoning the Rockdale Road properties to all heavy commercial would be an appropriate use given the context of the area and the fact that it fits the land use plan of commercial property along I-30 and Rockdale Road.
Five certified letters were also sent to surrounding property owners within 200 feet of 1079 and 1084 Rockdale Road. No responses either for, against or indifferent to the rezoning request were received by city staff.
The P&Z Commission approved the request at the recommendation of city staff, for the properties to be rezoned heavy commercial. The matter will is being sent to the City Council for consideration at the May board meeting as well, at the recommendation of the P&Z as well as city staff.
