Edmond panel approves rezoning of 5 additions

By Diana Baldwin

Published: September 18, 2008

EDMOND — Rezoning single-family homes, some built more than 25 years ago, could cost Edmond taxpayers thousands of dollars. So far, however, property owners have not expressed opposition to the plan.

Planning commissioners Tuesday approved rezoning property in five neighborhoods to single family. The request next goes to city council. It is part of a project, proposed by Mayor Dan O'Neil that would rezone property in 26 Edmond housing additions.

O'Neil said single-family homes have been built on land zoned for commercial and multifamily uses.

Five housing additions were rezoned by the city this summer, the process cost the city $3,240.76 to purchase the five signs, mail notices to property owners, purchase the ownership list and publish newspaper notifications, according to the commission.

Tuesday's 4-1 vote came with opposition from Planning Commissioner Leroy Cartwright, who has been an opponent of the effort from the start.

"I would be for this if the property owner came in and made the request,” Cartwright said. "I'm opposed to the process.”

Advocates of the plan, mainly members of the Edmond Neighborhood Alliance, support the mayor, the co-founder of the alliance. There has been almost no opposition from property owners since the inception of the plan in February.

There was no protest by property owners at this week's planning commissioners' meeting. One property owner just wanted to learn more about the process before he plans to sell a home he owns in one of the neighborhoods.

Bill Hake, the president of the Fox Lake Homeowners Association, thanked the planning commissioners and city officials this week for their efforts to correct the zoning.

It is unusual for city officials to request the rezoning of a property owner's land. Generally, the property owner makes an application with the city.

Planning commissioner Bill Moyer told a concerned resident after the meeting there could be problems for the property owner if a tornado would destroy a neighborhood and someone would come in and try to build commercial property in the middle of a residential area.

City Councilmen David Miller and Charles Lamb have said the chances are small something like that could happen because the city has building requirements that protect surrounding property owners.

Someone who wants to put a commercial business inside a neighborhood that is developed residential would have to file a site plan that would be voted on by the planning commission and city council.

Title 22, the city's new zoning ordinance, also requires a 70-foot buffer between commercial property and adjacent residential homes. The majority of the residential lots aren't large enough to meet the buffer requirement on three sides of the property and leave room to build anything.

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