- The approved rezoning plan will serve as a way to expand the Down Range Industrial park.
- The second rezoning application also included light industrial zoning as a buffer for those neighboring the area.
- Watch the story to hear why this new plan was approved by city and county leaders.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Hundreds of acres of land in West Bainbridge will be rezoned from rural residential to heavy and light industrial.
WTXL reporter AJ Douglas has been tracking how area leaders are accessing not one but two applications to rezone property that has never been developed before.
The city approved the planning commission's recommendation to approve a revised zoning change application.
Rick McCaskill is the development authority's executive director who made the now-approved revision.
He initially requested to rezone 350 acres from rural residential to heavy industrial.
That application was pulled by applicant McCaskill.
But a newly revised application followed.
"The planning commission felt that this was a much better presentation... And a much better plan. They approved it unanimously,” according to Steve O'Neil, the community development director for the city of Bainbridge.
When people living in the West Bainbridge neighborhood first learned of the proposed rezoning changes this past summer several spoke against the project.
"How is this going to impact us with noise? How is this going to affect a lot of us that are bordering right on the line?” said Latoria Green, a west Bainbridge resident back in July.
But during the recent city council meeting no one spoke against the new rezoning request.
In a statement McCaskill explains why he believes the new plan will grow industry while accommodating bordering neighbors needs.
"We have modified the zoning request to better reflect what we intend to do. This will also look much better to neighboring properties because we have included a vegetative buffer and only allow light industry, such as warehousing near the neighbors."
McCaskill says the key reason to expand the industrial park is to provide more space for existing industries looking to expand.
