After hearing concerns from citizens, one piece of property within the city was denied a chance of being rezoned.
The Elizabethton Regional Planning Commission convened inside City Hall on Thursday, Oct. 6, and heard from concerned citizens about the potential of property located on 116 North Roan St. of being rezoned from an R-3 high density residential to B-1 neighborhood business district, a request placed by Elizabethton Federal.
Kay Nave, a resident of East E Street, addressed the officials and stated a bevy of concerns for the potential of a business coming to the area, citing traffic congestion on East E, where a potential entrance and exit would be. Nave stated her and family members have seen numerous fender benders and other accidents on East E and feared for additional traffic. The resident also cited concerns for the closing time of a potential business and her concerns were backed up by another citizen during the meeting.
Commissioners learned during the meeting that the property had been foreclosed on in 2009 and one potential buyer was interested in securing the property to place an antique mall.
Elizabethton Planning and Development Director Jon Hartman told the commission that the property at one point housed a printing business and the classification of R-3 to B-1 would allow the property to be used house a variety of different shops, including a shopping center, grocery store or gas station.
While citing concern rezoning just one piece of property within the residential district, the majority of commissioners were in an agreement of denying the request to keep the neighborhood residential.
The vote to deny the request passed 3-1 with Melanie Sellers, Dena Bass and Ron Kirby voting for the denial while Wes Frazier was against the motion.
“I just hate to see the building the way it is,” he said. “It’s going to continue to go down unless something is done.”
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In other business, the commissioners voted to:
* approve the request made by Mike and Kathy Pierce for a partial alley closing behind West I Street running from Allen Avenue to Ferguson Avenue.
* approve the request by Bill Taylor for additional storage units at Cherokee Storage on Cherokee Park Drive. The addition will include nine new units.
* approve a subdivision plat for Kent Edens for property located at the end of Echo Drive.
* approve a request, contingent to stormwater requirements and a covenant with the city, to place modular buildings from the Carter County School System on Stateline Road.