Owner wins rezoning to restore single-family lot at 804 Bullock Drive

The Planning and Zoning Commission on July 17 approved a zoning change to return the rear portion of 804 Bullock Drive to single-family residential zoning so the property owner can rebuild a home on the lot. The vote approved revising Plan Development (PD) 198 to SF-7 for Lot 23A and removing the special use permit that allowed the parcel to function as parking for the adjacent Dickies restaurant.

The request matters because the rear portion of the lot had retained commercial zoning and an SUP since the late 1990s when shared parking was added to serve the restaurant, while the rest of the block is single-family. Mary Perron Boswell, staff presenter, said the rezoning would "make the property whole" by removing split zoning and that the lot is "currently vacant" and "the lot size is not increasing." She told commissioners the applicant intends to demolish the paved parking area and install a six-foot wooden fence along the property boundary adjacent to commercially zoned parcels. Staff recommended approval with two conditions: allow the wood fence in lieu of a masonry wall adjacent to commercial zoning, and require demolition of the existing paved parking area before a building permit will be issued.

Boswell told commissioners the original plat was recorded in 1961, homes were built in the late 1960s and 1970s, and the subdivision was largely rezoned to SF-7 in 2002 to give residents conforming status for insurance and financing. She said Dickies added the additional parking under an SUP in 1999 and that the shared parking agreement is now invalid. The current owner, Mohammed Jafaraneef, told the commission he purchased the lot and agreed with staff conditions.

A neighbor, Angelita Diaz of 816 Bullock Street, spoke during the public hearing and said the surrounding businesses had masonry walls that effectively closed the unpaved alley and expressed a desire for consistent treatment along the rear property lines. "All the businesses there put up a brick fence," Diaz said, urging consistency with existing screening.

Commission discussion covered drainage and impervious surface concerns and whether the owner must remove concrete because of zoning versus building-permit requirements. Staff noted no formal easement for a fire lane was recorded, and commissioners asked staff to confirm record status. The commission voted to approve the rezoning with staff's conditions; the roll call recorded all present members voting aye and the motion carried.

If the owner proceeds after rezoning, Boswell said the next step will be a standard building-permit review where detailed site and drainage comments could appear. The demolition of the paved parking and the fence requirement are conditions of the approval; no change to the lot size or property lines was authorized by the commission.

Commissioners and staff encouraged neighbors to raise broader consistency or comprehensive-plan questions when the city next updates the plan, as those policy-level changes are outside the scope of this rezoning action.