Lula denies request for commercial rezoning
Council offers an alternative to CBD
BY SHARON HOGAN
A rezoning request for property on Belton Bridge Road was denied by the Lula City Council last week.
Joe D. and Hilda J. Means asked for the rezoning of 12.68 acres located at 6727 Belton Bridge Road. Their son, Mike Means, represented the couple at the hearing. The property is currently zoned R-3 residential. The Means are seeking to have the property rezoned to central business district (CBD) commercial.
The vote to deny the request was 3-1 with Lamb Griffin voting against the motion to deny. Those voting to deny the request were: Vicky Chambers, Larry Shuler and Judah Echols. Council member Lamb Griffin voted against the denial. Council member Mordecai Wilson was absent from the meeting.
During the public hearing, Means said the main reason for the request was financial-based.
“Unless the property is rezoned to commercial or sold, my parents stand to loose around $200,000,” he said. “There are no plans at this time to do anything with the property other than what it is currently used for.”
Currently, the property has two commercial-type buildings located on it. The buildings have been there since 1986 and were used until 2002.
“I don’t know what is going to happen in the future, “ Means said.
Means said most of the people don’t even know the buildings are back there.
Mayor Milton Turner said someone who is interested in the property contacted him. This individual owns a business that erects metal buildings. Means confirmed this person has shown an interest in the site.
Turner told Means that CBD zoning would not work at this site. He asked Means if he had anything against a Highway Business District zoning classification.
Means said after looking at the highway business zoning it was determined this would probably be a better fit for the property.
“We have seen this after we looked at it,” he said.
City Manager Dennis Bergin said Highway Business District zoning actually recognizes the residential in the area. CBD zoning does not allow for any outside storage.
Turner said he is also concerned with the hours of operation of a business at this location due to the residential in the area. The mayor instructed Means that a privacy fence would be needed along the close property adjoining this site.
Means said, “Would we be able to plant trees or would we need to actually erect a fence? Turner said, “It will be long term to get trees along the line, if this needs to be done quickly you will need to erect a fence.”
The city’s zoning states that under highway business anything located within 50 feet of any residential area has to have a privacy fence.
Bergin also said, “The entrance is very narrow and would need to be improved upon.”
No one attended the public hearing to speak in opposition to this request.
The rezoning of this property was on the agenda for the council meeting held after the public hearing.
Two area residents attended the council meeting to speak to the council the opposition to this request. Both Jewell Armour and Garnett Smith said they must have misunderstood the meeting times.
Armour owns property next door to this location. He said, “I have nothing against the people. Armour has a concern with the property being commercial in the middle of the residential area. “I think commercial of any kind is out of place here,” he said.
Armour said the buildings that are there now attracted some break-ins. He said, “I don’t know what business is going to be there and how can it be appropriate in a residential neighborhood. I oppose business in our front door.”
Smith said he has a problem with 18-wheelers entering the site. He said, “I am concerned with the 18-wheelers coming over the hill there and they swing over into my yard and tear it up. It is a very dangerous place coming over the top of the hill.”
“I would like to ask you not to allow it to come,” Smith said.
Means said, “I understand the concerns that have been raised here.” He again said if the property is not rezoned it will mean a large financial loss on the buildings that are there to his parents.
Armour said, “I guess we would like to know what you are looking at there. My elderly mother lives at the entrance to this site.”
Means again said, “One person looking at the property is a person who erects metal buildings. He wants to use it for trucks and his business.”
Armour said, “Mike told me that the person who is looking at this also has race cars he plans to put down there. I don’t think we want race cars down there hossing around at all hours of the night.”
Turner recommended that conditions should be applied to the rezoning. He said it should be considered for highway business district, the ingress and egress should be improved and the business hours should be not later than 8 p.m. due to the residential area around the property.
Turner said he understood that some fabrication would be done at this site, but most would be done off-site.
Council member Vicky Chambers said, “It bothers me to have a business district in the middle of a residential district. I am concerned with the noise level any time during the day if someone is working on a race car.”
Council member Judah Echols said, “I have an issue with the race cars down there at all hours of the night revving up the engines, I lived close to a race shop when I was growing up, so I know what it is like.”
Council member Larry Shuler said, “I don’t go for a business in the middle of a residential area.”
