Planning commission approves rezoning for Apex Motorsports planned-development

The Planning and Zoning Commission on June 9 approved a request to rezone roughly 263 acres at the northwest corner of Ralston Road and State Route 238 from Industrial (CI-2) to the Apex Motorsports planned area development (PAD), a move intended to formally allow a private motorsports club and related uses on the site.

Staff told the commission the request meets the city’s general plan goals for balanced land use and that public-notice requirements had been met, including mailed notices to adjacent owners and posted signage; no members of the public spoke at the hearing. A staff representative said the project “meets several goals and objectives of the general plan.”

Under the applicant’s plan, the property already contains two racetracks, garage-condo parcels (48 lots to the south sold to individual owners, additional garage condos to the north under construction), a flying-lizard team area, and an approved conditional use permit from February 2017. The applicant said a clubhouse is in second review with development review staff and that a heliport and on-site villas are proposed but not yet sited or final. The applicant also confirmed outreach to the 48 adjacent property owners and updated signage as required for the second public hearing.

Commission discussion was limited. The chair opened and closed the public hearing after no speakers came forward; a motion to approve the PAD was seconded and the commission voted to approve the rezoning. Commissioners recorded no formal conditions beyond standard development review steps; staff will continue to process site-level permits and plan reviews under the PAD.

The commission approval advances the project from a property with prior approvals (CUP 02/2017) to a PAD zoning framework, which will require subsequent design-review and permit steps before construction of clubhouse, villas, any heliport, or other facilities.

Planning staff and representatives from the applicant’s counsel were present and available to answer commissioner questions as the project moves into the next review stages.