PC 23-100-01 Royal Stone

Case #23-100-01 Various lots on W. 23rd Street and S. Cottage Avenue Applicant: Hilda Ramirez ick

Action: Rezoning lots to C-3

S. Cottage Avenue

W. 23rd Street S. Crysler Avenue

Aerial Photograph

Case #23-100-01

Surrounding Zonings

Case #23-100-01 S. Cottage Ave.

W. 23rd Street

Background PROPERTY HISTORY: Like many major arterials in the City, the southern 200 feet of the applicant’s properties along 23rd Street have been zoned commercial since at least November 1965. Land north of the commercial strip was zoned R-2 (Two Family) with the district title being changed to R-12 (Two Family Residential) in July 2009. While most of the parcels comprised by this application have been vacant for several years, there were single family homes at 910 and 1004 W. 23rd Street, and 1130 S. Cottage Avenue until they were demolished within the last few years.

PROPOSAL: Hilda Ramirez purchased the six lots that comprise this application in the fall of 2021 for her business, Royal Stone Landscaping (Royal Stone). The business sells materials such as dirt, gravel, mulch, river and decorative rock in bulk amounts to the public with delivery service available. Shortly after the purchase, the company began preparing the southern portion of the site for the business graveling part of the site for driving/parking areas, creating bin enclosures with concrete barriers for merchandise, and accepting the delivery of some materials for future sale. Relocating to this site will allow Royal Stone to consolidate and expand its operations.

Royal Stone has provided a sketch plan which illustrates a tentative site layout. If the rezoning were approved, the owner will have to complete the site development process addressing issues such as street access, parking and site improvements, lot consolidation, along with stormwater management and utility service connections.

Sketch Site Plan

Case #23-100-01

Analysis CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AREA This segment of the 23 Street corridor was partially stripped zoned for commercial and industrial uses as far back as the mid1960’s. In this case, the commercial zoning went north 200 feet from the right-of-way of 23rd Street with the properties behind this commercial strip being zoned single or two family residential. The 23rd Street frontage on both sides of the street east and west of the site is zoned either C-2 or C-3 (Service Commercial). Land uses on the north side of the street are service oriented with those on the south being religious or education related. The residential uses behind the corridor are primarily smaller single-family homes constructed in the first half of the last century.

Comprehensive Plan Guiding Land Use Principles for the Current Designation: The Comprehensive Plan envisions Residential Urban Neighborhood uses for this site. This category is residential areas with neighborhood shopping areas within walking distance and is intended to provide a mix of existing homes with infill housing to include a range of densities providing for a diverse range of housing types. The Comp Plan would envision a redevelopment of the site to residential urban neighborhood uses rather than C-3.

Comprehensive Plan

Case #23-100-01 S. Cottage Ave.

W. 23rd Street

Looking North across 23rd Street at the site

Looking West into the property

Looking West on the site

Some of the material storage bins

Looking at the north end of the site

Looking East towards S. Cottage Avenue

Looking North up S. Cottage Avenue

The house immediately north of the site on S. Cottage

The houses across S. Cottage to the Northeast

An auto repair business on 23rd Street East of the site

A cosmetology school Southeast of the site

Looking across 23rd Street to the southeast

A construction contractor on the South side of 23rd Street

A church on the South side of 23rd Street

An auto repair business West of the site

Staff does not support the rezoning of this property to C-3 (Service Commercial). In addition to the City’s Comprehensive Plan recommending residential use for the site, staff has concerns that the proposed C-3 zoning would allow for other uses that would not contribute to the long-term success of the 23rd Street corridor. Suitability is also a concern with having a C-3 zoning adjacent to currently utilized and zoned single-family homes.