The Zoning and Platting Commission Tuesday recommended denying a rezoning for a North Austin property, with commissioners agreeing with city staffers that the requested commercial zoning would not be appropriate.
The 1-acre site at 9815 and 9817 Anderson Mill Road is currently zoned Neighborhood Commercial (LR-CO). The property owner, Ramin Zavareh, requests Commercial Services (CS) zoning in order to operate his used car sales business on the property. Zavareh said that CS would also allow more flexibility for future uses when it comes time to sell the property.
City staffers, however, do not support the request. “CS is the most intensive zoning category for commercial uses, and it is not appropriate at this location,” Sherri Sirwaitis with the Housing and Planning Department said.
Staffers recommend keeping LR zoning, given the site’s location mid-block on Anderson Mill and the adjacent LR properties. Sirwaitis said that staffers were unaware that the property owner intends to use the site for car sales, a prohibited use in LR zoning.
One resident spoke against the rezoning, citing the potential for increased traffic on Anderson Mill. Zavareh responded that the car dealership would not increase traffic substantially. He also said that drivers coming in and out of the site will have access to a stoplight on Anderson Mill via an adjacent property, so they won’t have to make unprotected left turns.
Commissioner Betsy Greenberg motioned to recommend LR zoning. Greenberg said that Council Member Mackenzie Kelly had relayed the fact that several other neighbors are opposed. “So it’s not like there isn’t any opposition from people who are nearby,” Greenberg said.
Commissioner Lonny Stern agreed that CS would be too intense, given that it could bring undesirable uses, such as pawn shops or bail bonds sales. Commissioner Ryan Johnson, however, wondered why staffers didn’t recommend a compromise of Community Commercial (GR) zoning, which would allow auto sales but prohibit some of the more intense commercial uses.
The commission voted 8-1-1 to recommend LR zoning, with Johnson against and Commissioner David Fouts abstaining. The case now moves to City Council for a final decision.
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City of Austin Zoning and Platting Commission: The City of Austin's Zoning and Platting Commission addresses issues of land use as assigned to it by Austin's City Code. It has sovereign authority, or the right to make final decisions on certain cases.
