25 - Zoning Change - Petititon of Home Vesting - 805 Lamar - Block 187 Lot 2 - LCAD 16984

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Item No. 25 TO: Mayor & City Council Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Carla Easton, PE, Engineering & Community Development Director DATE: July 27, 2020 BACKGROUND: Tamara Sexton with ImeVesting LCC is requesting a change in zoning from General Retail District (GR) to Single Family Dwelling District (SF -2) for the subject property located at 805 Lamar Avenue in order to lease the existing house for residential use. The site is approximately 0.2 acres located at the northeast comer of Lamar Avenue and Bah Street NE, and has been previously used for retail and office space, Ms. Sexton purchased this property in April 2020 and immediately leased it as a residential dwelling. The Code Department responded to complaints of trash, at which time the City became aware of the residential use in a retail district. Ms. Sexton is requesting the zoning change in response to the code case-, in addition, without the zoning change, she will be unable to lease this property as residential space. STATUS OF ISSUE: The future land use plan calls for this site to be retail use, primarily due to its location along Lamar Avenue, which is a high traffic thoroughfare. The existing land uses in the immediate area include retail, medical office, law office, grocery and fuel station, There are nearby residential properties to the north of Lamar Avenue in the general vicinity of the subject property, but they have access from local streets and face interior to other residential areas. In 2019, the City amended the zoning ordinance to specifically address the need for separation of residential from retail and commercial districts, Low density residential uses should be located in neighborhoods, where traffic is slow, low volume, and safe for normal residential activities, Arterial streets provide the optimal environment for retail and commercial uses where the traveling public can easily access store frontage without affecting neighborhoods. This includes accommodation for delivery trucks and other essential services needed for business uses. These basic planning principles are key to preserving peaceful neighborhoods while promoting more intensive uses along city thoroughfares.