Five rezoning changes were approved this week by Sulphur Springs City Council during the regular July meeting. While the City Council voted 4-3 to deny Libba Land LTD‘s request to rezone 12 acres at the corner of Industrial Drive and Hillcrest Drive, that was not the case for five other requests.
1659 Arbala Road
Andrea and Malachi Sandoval are asking the city to rezone 0.93 acres out an 11-acre parcel of land they own at 1659 Arbala Road as light commercial. The lot, located at the northwest corner of Arbala Road and Wildcat Way, is currently zoned single family.
During the June 20, 2022 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski reported that it is their understanding that the change would allow the applicants to construct a coffee shop on that corner, but at present there are no structures on it. Mini self storage is planned behind the 0.93-acre parcel, according to city officials and the sign posted on the property.
“The land use plan along Wildcat Way identifies it as a commercial corridor in the future,” Niewiadomski said. “It’s primarily commercial in all directions except to the west, which is single family, and most of the land is vacant, with the exception of a single family home to the east that is currently zoned heavy commercial.”
The P&Z Commission approved the measure June 20 as meeting zoning requirements, but added one stipulation as recommended by city staff: that the applicant subdivide the lots in according with the rezoning request. That was forwarded to the City Council.
Place 1 Councilman Jay Julian asked about ingress and egress from the property, the impact the proposed business would have on traffic in that area, which at certain times of day can be pretty heavy. Niewiadomski noted traffic would be managed through Texas Department of Transportation, and other matters would be considered when subsequent applications are sought and will be taken up with the city engineers.
On Tuesday, July 5, 2022, the City Council approved on first reading an Ordinance granting the the request to rezone that portion of Arbala Road light commercial. As is the case with all Ordinances, the City Council must approve it on second reading before it becomes official. The City Council is scheduled to consider the request on second reading and, if granted, final approval at the regular August 2022 City Council meeting.
1120 Church Street
Jason and Jennifer Lacomfora’s request to rezone 1.54-acres of property at 1120 Church Street from multifamily to heavy commercial zoning was approved July 5 on second and final reading. The property is split-zoned multifamily and heavy commercial, and the couple want to make it have one designation. They noted that should make it easier when they try to develop the property in the future. It is surrounded by heavy commercial property to the north, west and south, with multifamily zoning to the east.
During an April Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski told nearby property owners who’d expressed concerns about water abatement for drainage and fencing that while those were not directly addressed in a zoning request, but those would be taken into consideration when/if the lot if developed. On-site utilities, adequate drainage, fencing equipment to separate the lot from abutting residential property would be required at the time of development.
The Lacomforas indicated that someone had at one time had shown interest in constructing a mini storage facility at the site, but nothing specific at that time. Having all the property zoned the same would help when and if development is considered. No plat or development proposals had been made at that time to the city, according to Niewiadomski.
The rezoning request for 1120 Church Street was first approved by the City Council on June 7, 2022, and became final upon second reading and approval at the July 5, 2022 City Council meeting.
302 & 306 Magnolia Street
A request by Hopkins County Holdings LLC to change 302 Magnolia Street and 306 Magnolia, which spans 0.66 acre, from light industrial to multifamily zoning was also approved on final reading at the July 5, 2022, City Council meeting.
The applicant indicated the zoning change would better accommodate residential development on the lot, located at the southeast corner of Magnolia and Hinnant Street, Niewiadomski reported at an April Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.
The property at the southeast corner of Magnolia and Hinnant Streets is surrounded by railroad tracks on the north, with an office in a light commercial zone on the east, and residences in multifamily zoning on the south and west. Thus, making the multifamily residential zoning request an appropriate designation in keeping with the land use plan for that area, according to Niewiadomski.
525 Church, 530 Davis Street
Hopkins County Hospital District’s requests to rezone a 0.49-acre lot at 525 Church Street and a 0.46-acre lot at 530 Davis Street to professional office zoning were both approved on first reading at the June 7, 2022, City Council meeting and one second and final approval at the July 5, 2022, City Council meeting. This would clean up some zoning, where the structures have long been used for professional offices, when occupied.
Niewiadomski reported 525 Church Street is located four lots north of Houston Street, along Church Street, and has been zoned multifamily, with medical offices within it for a long time. It abuts property zoned multifamily on three sides and single family-10 to the west.
The HCHD plans to sell the 525 Church Street property; the land could not be utilized for office space unless zoned professional office. Based on the land use plan of commercial and context of the area, rezoning 525 Church St. for professional offices would be appropriate, Niewiadomski told the City Council at the June 7, 2022, meeting.
Niewiadomski at the May 2022 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting and the June 2022 City Council meeting noted that 530 Davis Street, the old Longino Clinic located at the southeast corner of Woodlawn and Davis Streets near Sulphur Springs Public Library, is zoned single family-10, but is not suitable for habitation as it does not have sufficient bathroom and kitchen facilities. The lot has been a medical office for a long time and the Hospital District has aske that it be rezoned to professional office to maintain the professional uses on the lot.
Properties to the north and east are zoned multifamily and to the south and west are single family-10. Land uses are residential in all directions except the east, which is office. The Hospital District is planning to sell the property to a local media company, who will be moving a few blocks northward from Dabbs Street to North Davis Street.
Both requests from HCHD were approved by the City Council on first reading at the regular June 7, 2022, meeting, and on second and final reading at the July 5, 2022, City Council meeting.
