Posted: 5/21/03

Wyoming PUD move panned

Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

Passing a series of resolutions Monday, the Wyoming City Council accepted a general land use plan for the cityís northwest quadrant, amended the comprehensive plan to include the land use plan and rezoned the area from R-1 to a planned unit development area.

The public hearings, discussion, and council action took about 90 minutes before the regular council meeting began.

Council began its search for a land-use planner about a year ago. Bill Thibault of Thibault Associates was the person selected to do the study and he recently completed the work.

The council chamber was full Monday as Thibault reviewed the land use study for council, the planning commission and residents.

One of the key elements of the study was a cost benefit analysis, determined by finding costs to the city of providing water, sewer and streets for the area and determining revenues which would be generated as a result of changes in market value of the land and its capacity to generate tax revenue.

There are 279,000 square feet in the area studied, about 50 percent of which Thibault estimated would be developed by 2015.

The two plans he presented were similar. One is a high-tech complex and the other a medical facility, hotel and conference area.

Roessler opposed

Land owner Kent Roessler, went on record as being opposed to the change in zoning for the parcel, because it limits the sale of the land.

He acknowledged notice of this meeting, but his concern was that he had no input into the city planning to change the zoning. He contends property owners will bear the financial burden because the development will take place over a longer period of time.

Roessler wondered if each section is labeled for a specific use and whether zoning could be changed back. He said changing the zoning from R-1 to PUD ìdeprives us of some of the cash value of the property.î

He sought more flexibility.

Chip Yeager, planning commission chair, said the study and discussions have been going on since October, with the open meetings occurring monthly. More recently, meetings have been twice a month.

There have been notices in the paper.

Mayor Vern Haag told Roessler the council must look at the zoning in terms of ìwhatís best for the community, not necessarily individual land owner,î and is seeking quality development.

Council member Sandy Standridge said providing water and sewer services to a large number of homes in the area would tax the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant.

Roessler said there is room for more medical facilities on the Fairview Campus and thought the demand to bring more in would not be there.

City Administrator Dennis Coryell said not all medical facilities want to be under the relatively tight control Fairview exerts on facilities on its campus. He observed that the more building that is done at Fairview the more interest there is in other land for other facilities.

Roessler said he has been approached by at least one large retail complex, ìbig boxî store. Council was firmly against a business that would generate large volumes of traffic in the area.

The planning commission, EDA and council looked at existing businesses nearby and considered what they believe is important to the entire city.

Coryell said the plans would allow the maximum amount of flexibility.

Votes on all the resolutions were unanimous, 4-0, with member Martin English absent.

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