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Question: How does the cities General, Future Land Use, and Future Transportation Plans effect rezone requests? Are there situations that you feel would allow rezone and development that is contrary to those plans? If so, can you give a hypothetical example or an example of previous City Council decisions that may of been contrary to those plans?
Colby Curtis
Generally speaking, no, but there will certainly be exceptions. I can guarantee that there are details that were missed in the general plan process. The council and staff may not have fully understood constraints/topography on particular land that was designated with each use. The general plan is just that, general. The purpose of the plan is not to designate detailed land use, but to give a macro-level snapshot of the city. The general plan may show commercial next to residential, but it will be on the city council come rezone time to determine whether the proposed commercial is compatible with existing residential and the most appropriate course of action for buffering to protect the residential area. That might mean the commercial will need to have some sort of buffer zone to make the area workable.Jared Gray
The future plan maps and transportation plans are “guiding” documents. In my opinion, we need to designate and stick to these plans as best as possible. Are there times when there may be changes, yes. As growth happens, we may find one thing or another that makes more since for transportation, or commercial for example.Carolyn Love
The general plan provides a guideline for how our city should be developed. One of my priorities is to encourage commercial and retail development in the city. Given that, I would consider rezoning an area to accommodate a request from a business that we would like to have in the city as long as the rezone isn’t markedly different that the surrounding zoning. For residential areas, I may be persuaded to rezone a property on the border between two zones but I would look at requiring a buffer zone of homes between two zones with different densities. I would be less likely to rezone a residential area to a new zone with higher density. Currently, 80 percent of the homes in Eagle Mountain are on lots that are less than .25 acres. Most of the undeveloped land in the city is zoned for homes on lots of .25 acres or more. If we follow the general plan in most instances, we will be able to create a more balanced variety of homes and lot sizes. I am less likely to approve a request that doesn’t follow the future transportation plan. During the next ten years the MAG transportation plan includes development of Cory Wride Highway to five lanes from Ranches Parkway to Airport Road, Airport Road expansion to five lanes from Lake Mountain Road to the Cory Wride Highway, and two new roads connecting city center to Eagle Mountain Blvd. We are going to need these new roads to accommodate our growth during this time. Collector roads will link neighborhoods to these primary routes. I would oppose rezoning that eliminates collector roads without an equivalent alternative. We are going to need these roads within the city to alleviate congestion in getting to the main transportation routes.Devyn Smith
Compliance with the General Plan is one of the criterion for a rezone. Additionally, the application should be compatible with surrounding uses, accommodate public services with overburdening the city’s service capacity, and not have a significant impact on the surrounding property values. There will be times when an application does not match the General Plan. The General Plan is a living document; one of it’s purposes is to keep non-compatible uses from ending up adjacent to each other. By taking a look at what the plan dictates and what the application is for, you should be able to determine whether or not the application would work in that specific area. For example, say a corner lot along an arterial road was marked as residential. It may be appropriate for a neighborhood commercial type use.Ben Porter
The General Plan is a guideline, a declaration of goals and direction. Rezone requests should be done in a way that furthers those goals and adheres to those guidelines. However, if a rezone request doesn’t quite conform with the general plan, but it is important for things like public safety, or is just a good idea that makes sense, we should consider accommodating it. The utility of that would vary on which land we are talking about, so it may or may not make sense. Always keeping an open mind is healthy in my opinion.Rich Wood
I am not in favor of letting development dictate our General plan. However, because I know that we approved the plan with the knowledge that some parts were going to have to be tweaked(like the transit plan) it will always be a discussion of what’s best for our city first, not the developer.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.