Cordova Triangle rezoned as residential
The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 3-0 to rezone the Cordova Triangle as residential.
Alderman Forrest Owens was not present for Monday’s meeting, and Alderman Rocky Janda abstained.
The vote comes after two previous readings, which both passed.
While the vote passed, the Owens family, which owns 14 acres in the 19acre Triangle, has filed an appeal in a former case related to their dead father’s land.
Mayor Mike Palazzolo said the board met before the public meeting Monday in a closed legal session to discuss “pending litigation.”
During chancery court proceedings in August, a judge sided with the city and said the judicial branch could not intervene in the suburb’s legislative process, after a legal complaint was filed by the Owens family. The ruling was appealed in late September.
Before the meeting, City Attorney David Harris asked each member to give reasoning for why they voted yes.
During the Jan. 8 meeting, when the apartment moratorium was introduced, Alderwoman Mary Anne Gibson asked city staff to propose removing the Cordova Triangle from the Central Business District and assign it residential zoning.
“In light of development in the area, I believe reverting the land back to single-family residential is the best course of action,” Gibson said during Monday’s meeting.
“With the change of the area that has developed very greatly (with the addition of Thornwood), I will be voting to zone it back to residential,” Alderman John Barzizza said.
Jim Jacobs, treasurer for the Neshoba North Neighborhood Association, has lived in Germantown since 1986. He said his neighbors rejected the urban zoning of the Triangle when Smart Growth was proposed in 2007 and included as part of the city’s Central Business District.
“We’ve been fighting this for over 11 years,” Jacobs said.
Members of Neshoba North protested again when wording was changed last year to allow alcohol to be sold in T4 zoning, which included the Triangle.
“We told them the easy thing to do would be to remove it (from urban zoning) and return it back to residential,” Jacobs said.
In December many neighbors complained after a meeting was held to talk about stand-alone apartments on the tract.
“Neighbors went ballistic,” Jacobs said. “We told the aldermen this is absurd.”
Monday’s decision was not made without heated discussion from aldermen.
Alderman Dean Massey was interrupted multiple times by the mayor, Gibson and Janda as he tried to read his comments for why he would vote in favor of the rezoning.
“I disagree with you 100,000 percent,” Janda interrupted as Massey said Smart Growth’s urban zoning was wrong.
“The fact is Cordova Triangle should have never been rezoned for Smart Growth,” Massey said.
“Please stop giving any more ammunition to the opposition,” Janda said. “He’s not,” an audience member said. The mayor tapped his gavel and concluded Massey’s time.
“You are doing a disservice to the citizens of Germantown by not letting me finish my time,” Massey said. “I owe it to the people and those watching at home.”
Massey continued as the mayor tapped his gavel.
“Your disregard for order is duly noted,” Palazzolo said.
“God, I can’t believe this,” Janda said. “You have given so much information out that might have cost us the lawsuit, but hey. Be it as it may.”
Janda said the Owens family have been “pioneers” for Germantown.
“I feel like we’re being unfair with the costly change to them,” Janda said. “I feel like this is unfair for some reason.”
The petition filed in chancery court states the rezoning would drop the land value by $7.2 million.