Council Overturns Planners, OK Controversial Rezoning

FARMINGTON — Mayor Ernie Penn cast the deciding vote Monday to overturn the Planning Commission’s decision to deny a request to rezone eight acres on North Garland McKee from agricultural to residential estate.

Aldermen Patsy Pike, Sherry Mathews, Linda Bell and Brenda Cunningham also voted in favor of overturning the decision. Keith Lipford, Bobby Morgan, Shelly Parsley and Diane Bryant voted no.

The request, presented by Joseph Orr with Blew & Associates on behalf of property owner Lots 101 LLC, has drawn the ire of property owners of the Meadow Sweet subdivision, which is across the street from the proposed development.

Meadow Sweet residents are concerned that developing the land would reignite flooding problems that have plagued their neighborhood in the past.

“It’s us having to live at the bottom of that hill,” said Bryan Snyder, who lives on Foxglove Lane in Meadow Sweet.

Snyder was one of several residents who voiced concerns over the project. He urged the council to consider the more than 60 houses that could be “jeopardized” by the council’s decision.

Plans call for one house per acre, using roughly 10 percent of each lot, according to Jorge DuQuesne, an engineer with Blew & Associates. A large detention pond would be built to help control flooding, DuQuesne said.

Melissa McCarville, city business manager, has said rezoning the land from A-1 (agriculture) to RE-2 (resi- dential estat) would meet the city’s land-use plan.

Nancy Harris, who lives on Rosebay Lane in Meadow Sweet, accused Lots 101 developer Tom Sims of being a “wheeler and dealer.”

“I’d like to get on my knees and beg ( the council),” Harris said. “( The development) is one of those things that makes money and runs.”

Penn asked those in attendance to remain civil and reminded residents that the council only was considering the merits of the rezone request, not the development itself.

He added that residents should have faith in city engineer Chris Brackett and the Planning Commission.

“I know it can be emotional, but the city has a responsibility to make sure any development is done property,” Penn said. “Everyone (on the council) has compassion for you. We still have to go through the (Planning Commission) and we have eight very wellversed planners.”

Washington County Enterprise-Leader reporter Lynn Kutter contributed to this report.