Ordinance 1st reading:  6/0 (Councilman McGrath - absent)

The applicant is requesting approval of a Zoning Map Amendment for a portion of Lot A2, Tract M, Sunburst Subdivision No. 3, from M-H, Mobile Home District, to C-1, General Commercial District.

The site is located southwest of the intersection of Wigwam Boulevard and Chickasaw Avenue. There is C-1 zoned properties to the north and south of the site, which allows the parcel to qualify for the minimum acreage required. These adjacent parcels are developed as office and commercial. To the west is M-H, Mobile Home District, and R-1, Single Family Residential District. There is also R-1 zoning across Chickasaw Avenue to the north.

The applicant recently applied for a zone change to enlarge a previously zoned C-1, General Commercial District, and was approved. The applicant has stated that since that time he has been advised by potential users of the C-1 zoned property that it is too small to be usable as commercial development.

The previous rezoning aligned the west line of the C-1 zoned area on this site with the west line of the C-1 zone to the north. This request is to move the C-1 zoned area to the west, which will then have the area across the street from a R-1 zoned property with a home on it. To the south the abutting property is all zoned C-1.

A subdivision plat will be required to align the lot configuration with the new C-1 zoned area, if approved. The applicant has stated that he is willing to restrict access from Chickasaw Avenue to the C-1 zoned site to mitigate the relationship to the R-1 zoned area across the street via the plat approval. A street yard landscape buffer is typically required as well.

An amendment to the Zoning Map shall not take place unless at least one of the two criteria exists as set forth in Section 12 of the City of Gillette Zoning Ordinance:

a. The Zoning Map may be amended when there is a need to correct an obvious error. In this case there was no obvious error.

b. The Zoning Map may be amended to recognize changing conditions within the City. This request does recognize changing conditions in the community because the C-1 zoned site to the south was recently annexed, developed as commercial, and is adjacent along the entire proposed boundary of this proposed C-1 zoned site.

I move for Approval of an Ordinance to Amend the District Zoning Map of the City of Gillette, Wyoming, for A Portion of Lot A2, Tract M, Sunburst Subdivision No. 3, From M-H, Mobile Home District, to C-1, General Commercial District, Subject to all Planning Requirements on Second Reading.