BLYTHEWOOD – The Planning Commission members unanimously elected Donald Brock to chair the Commission Monday evening. Brock replaces Brian Franklin who was elected to Town Council last month. Brock is a resident of Oakhurst neighborhood.
Brock
Developer D. R. Horton was back on the Commission’s doorstep Monday evening requesting the rezoning of 4.76 acres near the Cobblestone Clubhouse from Planned Development/ R-3 (PDD, R-3), single family attached townhomes to Planned Development/R-2 (PDD, R-2, single family detached residential).
A Horton representative said Horton plans to build 12 to 13 cottage-style homes on the parcel.
In October, the Commission recommended that same rezoning request based on several residents’ expressed desires to have cottages over townhomes.
However, when the issue came before Council, the residents switched gears, telling Council they were afraid the cottages were not going to come up to neighborhood standards and asked Council to turn Horton’s request down. Council obliged.
When Horton came back to the Commission Monday night asking for a re-do of the October vote, the Commissioners weren’t as eager to comply.
New chair Brock cited a memo from Town Attorney Jim Meggs stating that generally the same rezoning can’t be resubmitted for a year unless the Commission determines either: 1) there has been a substantial change in the character of the area or 2) factors exist which were not considered in the previous deliberations which might substantially alter the basis for the Commission’s recommendation.
Brock said neither was the case, and the Commission voted unanimously against recommending the rezoning.