Votes against rezoning on third reading
Marysville City Council soundly struck down the rezoning of land behind Kroger Marketplace right before the legislation was set to cross the finish line.
Council held the third and final reading Monday night of an ordinance that would have zoned about 14 acres behind Kroger Marketplace from traffic-oriented commercial (TOC) to multi-family residential (R-5). The request was denied by a 6-1 vote.
Property owner John Connolly spoke to council about the request. He said, unlike other recent housing and zoning requests in the city, there have been no concerns from neighboring property owners. He noted Kroger has expressed support for the legislation.
“We’ve not heard anything from homeowners and other citizens through that process,” he said.
The property was once owned by Malcolm MacIvor, and is adjacent to MacIvor Woods, a plot of land he had designated as a nature preserve.
Connolly said he believes the site is “one of the nicest” in terms of its potential for multi-family housing. He said with its access to utilities, it could “easily see development in 2018.”
“I don’t think that’s a stretch at all,” he said.
Connolly said he doesn’t have a set buyer, though there are parties that have expressed interest in the land since he began the rezoning process.
Three developers have contacted Connolly. He said one is interested in condos, one wants to build multi-family housing, and another that builds both.
“I think they’ll be good uses for the site if it’s zoned multi-family,” he said.
He said there would likely be about 112 units on the site at maximum.
Councilperson Alan Seymour pointed out Connolly was initially more ambiguous about future development on the property, though now there seem to be solid buyers.
He expressed concern at adding more housing, since the city has approved other developments recently.
“We just approved 850 units here not that long ago,” he said. “So there’s a balance.”
Henk Berbee, who was the only councilperson who voted in favor, asked if the connection to the Kroger parking lot would be the only way in and out of the development.
Connolly said since there’s a pipeline that goes under the site, that would prevent another road going over it.
“The pipeline’s pretty protective of crossings, and it was clear early on that we’d be able to cross it in one significant way,” he said.
Councilperson Tracy Richardson said she was “struggling” with the request. She said the city has approved a lot of housing in the past year, and she’s “not sure we need more.” She said Connolly came to council with a well thought-out request, but at a bad time.
“I even considered tabling this,” she said.
Mayor J.R. Rausch said he asked City Planner Chad Flowers between meetings for a list of units approved by the city over the past year. When everything was counted, Rausch said the city has allowed 1,592 new units across Marysville.
Council members Deborah Groat and Nevin Taylor both cited a respect for MacIvor as their reasons for voting against the request. Taylor said MacIvor would likely want to see the plot stay wooded more than anything else.
Tony Eufinger, who said he was involved in the purchase of the property, spoke to council during public comment. He said the trustee MacIvor chose to manage the land had the property listed for sale for years, and anybody could have come in and purchased it for any use.
“When we’re trying to presume what someone who’s no longer with us would want – he made his choices,” Eufinger said about MacIvor.
He noted those people to whom MacIvor entrusted his property made their own legal choices.
“Those individuals made those choices, they did so lawfully and under contract, and what’s done is done.”
In other council news:
-City administrator Terry Emery said the city would host its State of the City presentation at the Marysville Early College High School Feb. 15. The event will start at 5:30 p.m. and will feature students telling the public about various STEM school projects.
“The focus of the evening is going to be around workforce development,” he said.
The State of the City address will start at 6 p.m. and will include video and panel discussion.
Emery said he’s looking forward to public participation at the event.
-After holding three readings, council passed a series of ordinances amending Uptown Historical zoning and expanding the historical district.