Demand for homes leads to rezoning request

The planning commission also will review plans Thursday for an auto repair shop and mini-warehouses

“The market” is the reason a local businessman is seeking to rezone two houses in Rome back from offices to single-family homes.

Jonathan W. Harris is asking for neighborhood office-commercial zoning at 1109 E. Second Ave. and 332 E. Seventh St.

The houses front on main thoroughfares in East Rome but back onto residential areas. They were previously rezoned for community commercial use as offices but, in his applications, Harris said NOC zoning would allow them to be used as homes again.

“Due to demand, it will be better served to be used as a single-family home at minimal cost to the owner,” he wrote.

The Rome-Floyd Planning Commission is slated to consider the applications following public hearings Thursday. The citizen board meets at 2:30 p.m. in City Hall, 601 Broad St.

Also on the agenda is a request from Howard Gray to rezone a tract at 1801 Dean Ave. for heavy commercial use from the less-intensive community commercial zoning.

The property currently houses a tire store, which would be expanded to include an auto repair shop if the change is approved.

The planning commission makes recommendations to the elected boards. The Rome City Commission will make the final decision on all three requests at its Nov. 26 meeting.

A fourth application on the planning commission’s agenda will go to the Floyd County Commission on Nov. 27.

Nick Haan is asking for light industrial zoning for a piece of residentially zoned property on Chateau Drive. The land would be combined with other parcels bordering on Rockmart Highway, across from McCord Drive, for mini-warehouses.

All planning commission hearings are open to the public.