Another developer that wants to build a speculative warehouse in Greenwood cleared its first big hurdle.
The Planning Commission on Monday night approved rezoning nearly 100 acres at the southeast corner of Allen and Collins roads to light industrial from agriculture and suburban fringe.
Two commission members — Bob Dine and Matthew Smith — voted against the proposal, but majority ruled.
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Residents of a nearby subdivision located across the street from the property showed up in droves to oppose the rezone, but GLA Properties, LLC’s prepared arguments and willingness to make several commitments outweighed their emotional pleas.
It is another in a significant push for industrial development in east and southeast Greenwood. This development, if the rezoning is also approved by the city council and the actual development plans are OK’d by both the planning commission and council, will be located directly north of Pitney Bowes and east of the new Amazon facility in what the city has dubbed Greenwood Park at 65 South.
The Homecoming at University Park subdivision was developed in the midst of a warehouse expansion in the early 2000s. In some cases, the backs of houses are located about 60 feet from these warehouses.
Developers argued that this proposed warehouse would be at least 220 feet from any houses, which is more than three-times the city’s requirement.
The developer argued that these residents chose to live in that community knowing that it was an industrial area.
Sanjivan Bual helped gather 200 signatures from his neighbors in the subdivision. He spoke against the proposal on Monday night.
“The comprehensive plan calls for single-family and multi-family homes, and (the developer) just said, ‘Well, that’s unlikely to happen now.’ Why is that unlikely to happen? The simple reason why that’s not going to happen is because nobody wants to live right next to an industrial complex. He said that very clearly himself,” Bual said.
“We don’t either.”
Their concerns include decreased property values, and increased truck traffic on narrow, already congested roads.
“We are literally going to be surrounded by these properties on all four sides,” Bual said.
“We also believe that this is an upcoming and budding community with a lot of children. This is an active area for kids playing.”
Resident, Brian Meredith, said family drives on those roads everyday, and more truck traffic makes him concerned for their safety, he said.
“When is enough, enough?” Meredith said. “Then you put this directly south of our neighborhood, we’re almost boxed in. It’s overwhelming.”
He encouraged the city to conduct traffic studies in that area once Amazon is open to see what can be done to improve traffic congestion.
“If this was your neighborhood and you were living there, how would you vote?”
Randy Goodin does not live in the subdivisions, but he has lead the charge against industrial development in the area, and continued that opposition Monday night.
He encouraged the commission to require the developers to increase its distance from houses to 600 feet, at least and suggested the city seek a multi-family development for this plot of land, such as an apartment complex that would be more suitable for factory workers than houses that cost more than $200,000.
But Planning Director Bill Peeples said that’s not likely because history suggests the city council is not likely to approve a multi-family development. They have only approved one in the last few years, and at least six proposals came before them, he said.
Commission member Matthew Smith, who voted against the rezone, argued there is no practical reason to assume the council would absolutely reject a multi-family development. That assumption is political, he said. Technically, they could vote yes.
Commission member Bob Dine, who also voted against the rezone, asked the developer if they had met with neighbors. They offered to, the developer said, but nobody requested a meeting.
The developer agreed to several commitments, including significant landscaping buffers between the development and neighborhood, road improvements and banning truck traffic on Allen Road, near the entrance to the subdivision. Instead, they would require trucks use a back or side entrance to the facility.
Because they plan to propose a speculative building, there is no tenant yet.
“I have concerns that there are a lot of unanswered questions. With this many people showing up against this project, it lets me know that there are some great concerns, because we haven’t had a crowd like this in a couple months,” Dine said. “I think there need to be more answers to the public, and to us.”
Five commission members gave the rezone a favorable recommendation. Next, the city council will vote on the rezone. Then, the developer will bring actual plans to the planning commission and city council for approval before construction can begin.