Public comment speakers at the outset of Thursday night’s City Council meeting were JoAnne Vasil and Patrick Schmitz.
Vasil spoke on the proposed development application for rezoning on Barksdale Lane. She has concerns about the roadway, adding more units and the direction traffic would be taking from those units.
Vasil advised Council, “The road itself is not equipped to handle the traffic that it currently has.”
That which Vasil commented on was an ordinance on first reading to approve rezoning, approximately 5.17 (+/-) Acres Owned by DCC Strategic Realty Partners, LLC Located on the East Side of Barksdale Lane, South of Blue-Ribbon Parkway from residential -3 (Medium Density Residential) to Residential -4 (High Density Residential District.) This application has continued to receive an unfavorable recommendation by the planning commission, despite it being sent back to them a few times by Council for further review over the last couple of months.
Vasil said there’s no safe place to walk along Barksdale. She advised Council that a lot of people who live there do not have transportation. So, there are a lot of people walking along the street with children.
“It’s not just that one intersection that needs to have attention to it . . . entirety of that road needs significant work. I’m concerned about adding 52 additional units to that roadway.”
She said 52 additional units could essentially add up to two adults and two cars per unit. She said that’s a significant amount to add to the already burdened Barksdale Lane area.
She was also concerned about the developer potentially holding some units back in that area, specifically for Air B&B, possibly for rental during special events like the horse show. She advised there are too many people here who need quality housing- year-round- to let that happen within developments.
Next up was Patrick Schmitz, a Whitthorne Street property owner. “Anyone who would spend any time in that area . . . A lot of work needs to be done,” he advised Council.
He said to add another 52 homes isn’t going to be for the betterment of that neighborhood. He said even his property, which he owns, has gone through year after year, month after month, rezoning requests for everything from duplexes to townhomes.
Schmitz said it’s all about rentals in that Barksdale Lane area and he's really concerned about those short-term.
“It’s kind of the same thing as putting a hotel behind my house. I don’t know if you all like hotels to be built behind your houses or not . . . .”
He told Council there was a trespasser arrested on his property this year during the TWHNC. So, he has also security concerns.
He is requesting from the developer adequate privacy and security for his property. “My property will be the only house, on my street, that’s a residential property. The others will be all rental properties . . . .”
Council had several minutes of discussion upon voting on this ordinance. Present for the meeting were Stephanie Isaacs, William Christie, who led the meeting in the absence of Mayor Randy Carroll, Gary Haile and Marilyn Ewing. Councilmen absent were Bobby Turnbow and Henry Feldhaus. There was a quorum.
Councilperson Ewing, who has concerned constituents, said it is her desire that the developer bring something more concrete back to the table that best fits the City map.
All 4 Council members present voted no to the rezoning request. Developers will have to submit a new application to the planning commission for this to reach Council table again.
