Owners of two properties fronting Dixie Farm Road are hoping for a zone change that would allow limited commercial development on the land instead of residential, much to the dismay of residential neighbors.
The combined nine acres at 3302 and 3306 Dixie Farm Road are sandwiched between a Walmart-anchored retail center and a residential neighborhood. Owners have applied for a zone change from single family residential to neighborhood services, a low-intensity commercial development.
Nearby property owners have called and written to oppose the zone change.
“We understand the concerns of the neighbors,” applicant Alex Nguyen said during a Planning and Zoning meeting Oct. 6. “We feel rezoning it to (neighborhood services) is a good transition between the general commercial to the residential.”
Neighborhood services can include medical, dental and wellness facilities, adult day care and fitness centers that are low intensity uses but convenient for neighborhoods, the applicants said. These types of businesses are low-noise and daytime-oriented.
Neighbors who appeared at the P&Z meeting weren’t convinced.
“We don’t need any more businesses in this area especially given the zoning they’re talking about will allow operation of late-night or 24-hour businesses of which there are 40 in the (neighborhood services) zoning uses allowed,” said Greg Nelson, who lives on nearby Pinecrest Drive.
If granted, the zone change would create a domino effect on Dixie Farm, he said.
Planning and Zoning voted not to recommend approval of the zone change. The request will go before city council at its Oct. 27 meeting. The council in 2020 denied a request to rezone the site as general commercial. While the site is designated as “traditional residential,” city staff said the neighborhood services designation might be appropriate as a transition between the commercial center and neighborhood that it lies between.
