11/17/1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W - Attorney Barkett emphasized that we are dealing with only 1.86 acres here and that any kind of large scale residential development on these individual lots is not possible. He circulated - photographs -of the existing commercial uses in the area, noting that the existing mobile home park is a non -conforming use because the zoning there is heavy commercial. He pointed out that the Comp Plan calls for Old Dixie Highway to be 4 lanes by the year 2000. After giving a brief review of the history of the area, he emphasized that no new residential structures have been built there in years. The uses that have happened are all commercial or industrial. No one wants to live there. The people who are there now do not want to live there; they feel it is not safe because of the heavy traffic on Old Dixie Highway. He felt that 8th Street is the physical barrier to stop the encroachment of commercial, not 9th Street. Attorney Barkett advised that Mr. & Mrs. Smith have been here before; they had an old residence on their property and were brought before the Code Enforcement Board. Mr. Smith tried to get financing to fix up the property, but could not because no lender would touch it with the residential zoning. The Smith's appeared before the P&Z last year with the request for heavy commercial zoning on their 1/3 -acre parcel. They were told by the P&Z Commission that heavy commercial use all around warranted some relief, but not heavy commercial because of the Ridge Acres Subdivision, and that perhaps some alternative should be applied for. That is why they are here today with a request for Limited Commercial. Mr. Tippin noted to Mr. Smith at that P&Z meeting that perhaps the way to do this would not be by a single lot application, but rather a combined effort with his neighbors. That is what happened. All of the neighbors who front on Old Dixie Highway in that area have brought in a larger application. Attorney Barkett pointed out that the P&Z Commission is recommending that the Board approve the transmittal of this application to the DCA. The applicants have met their burden; they have done what they have been asked to do. Attorney Barkett emphasized that it is not reasonable to expect single-family development at this location and that it is not financially possible to rehabilitate the structures there. He could understand that the residents in Ridge Acres love to have this property buffering them from Old Dixie Highway, but it is not fair to his clients to have their property used as a buffer. As it stands now, their property cannot be used for commercial and it is not feasible for residential. Attorney Barkett stressed that the applicants have met their burden in coming before the Board with an 73 LNGV 17 1992 8001( 88 E tj 4