Germantown Planning Commission votes on Cordova Triangle rezoning

The Germantown Planning Commission voted Tuesday to rezone Cordova Triangle as residential and singlefamily housing. In front of an audience of about 80 people, the commission voted 5-3 in favor of the rezoning.

The rezoning must go through three readings at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

As part of the city’s Smart Growth Plan, the 19.77-acre Cordova Triangle was zoned as T4 (general urban) in 2007. The land sits between Germantown Road, Neshoba Road and Cordova Road on the west side of Germantown Parkway.

“It would no longer be a wise development pattern West of Germantown Road,” Cameron Ross, the city’s economic and community development director, said as part of the presentation to the commission.

Ross said the change was “to maintain the character and context of the surrounding neighborhoods (Neshoba North and Germantown Heights).”

Mayor Mike Palazzolo said that no developments have been presented for the land in the last 10 years. However, east of Germantown Road, Thornwood Development and GPAC’s anticipated concert venue will bring higher density to the area.

He said the land should be marked as residential, and this has been in the works since January.

Even once the land is rezoned as a resedential, a developer could come back later and ask the planning commission to rezone the land for a development.

Alderwoman Mary Anne Gibson was one of the citizens who came forward in the meeting. She said at the Jan. 8 Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, she asked that the land be rezoned to residential.

“Thornwood, Somerset and the GPAC Grove, a lot is going on in our city,” she said.

Gibson also said a development was talked about for the Cordova Triangle with citizens in the Neshoba North Neighborhood. She said it caused unrest and spoke in favor of the rezoning.

Alderman John Barzizza also spoke in favor of the rezoning.

“I spoke with folks in the area,” he said. “I fully concur with those residents who told me they are not in favor of any project (in Cordova Triangle) going forward.”

An online petition for rezoning the triangle to residential received 400 signatures.

Rick Winchester spoke against the rezoning and asked where studies were that proved the T4 zoning would negatively affect the community. He asked the commission to postpone the vote for six months.