The Greene County Commission has approved a controversial rezoning request for land near Highway AB and W. State Highway EE, the Springfield News-Leader reported.
On Monday, commissioners heard from the developer, Derek Lee, and many neighbors who oppose the development.
Lee requested 14.31 acres of his just over 93 acres be rezoned from R1 Suburban Residence District to UR-1 Urban Residence District. It’s the urban in that designation that has nearby residents worried. That would allow lot sizes as low as 6,000 square feet.
Lee said he planned for most of the lots on that portion of his land to be between 9,000 and 10,000 square feet and that there would be between 35 and 41 homes. Plans currently call for homes with at least 10,000 square foot lots on the rest of the property, but that’s still to be determined.
Lee addressed residents’ concerns about water run-off by saying he’ll build a detention basin before the next phase is constructed.
"That will provide detention for the — for my entire development," he said, "and it'll also provide water quality for my entire development, plus it'll provide water quality for some of the off-site areas that drain through it."
Neighbors gave various reasons for their opposition to the development plans.
Jaqueline Gray has 6.6 acres across the street from the proposed development. She said she’s not only concerned about run-off but also about the potential for the houses that will be built to be used as rentals.
"And that's what I'm scared to death is going to happen across the street from me are these little, teeny, dinky houses that are just nothing but rentals," she said, "and I'd like some reassurance that they're going to be real houses that are going to be for sale."
Greene County’s Director of Resource Management Kevin Barnes told commissioners there are regulations in place that address stormwater and water quality.
Lee had initially planned to build 600 homes on the 93 acres with lot sizes of 6,000-square-feet each. But after hearing nearby residents’ concerns, he changed his plans.
Greene County Planning and Zoning recommended denial of the revised plan in a split decision.
