Planning commission recommends conditional rezoning of 27500 Marquette to allow offices, daycare

The Garden City Planning Commission voted to recommend that city council approve a conditional rezoning of 27500 Marquette Avenue to C‑1 local business, limiting permitted uses to professional offices and a daycare.

The recommendation followed a staff presentation by Ortega, who described the 2.05‑acre parcel as a vacant former church located north of Marquette and west of Inkster Road and said the city's master plan designates the block as mixed‑use. Ortega noted C‑1 allows small‑scale offices, personal services and retail that serve adjacent neighborhoods and prohibits auto‑oriented uses such as gas stations, car washes and drive‑through restaurants.

Applicant comments at the podium said he plans to place an architectural office in the front of the existing building and a daycare in the rear, and he told the commission he would accept a conditional rezoning limiting uses to offices and daycare rather than an unrestricted C‑1. "I would really appreciate an approval on the C‑1 because we're trying to fix up the building and make it look nicer," the applicant said.

During the public hearing, residents urged caution. John Santu, a Garden City resident, said his concern is that "all of its ingresses and egresses are in a residential area" and that commercial access through neighborhood streets could create problems. Sid Davis of 1012 Belton said added traffic could affect emergency routes and school bus access and said he opposed the change.

Commissioners discussed the long‑term implications of a C‑1 zoning versus limiting allowed uses. Staff explained a conditional rezoning is created at the applicant's request and recorded as an agreement that specifies the permitted uses; if the applicant accepts conditions at the rezoning stage, those limits travel with the parcel to council as part of the application package.

A motion to recommend PPZ24‑0004 to city council as a conditional rezoning limited to business/executive/administrative/professional offices and daycare carried by voice roll call: Commissioner King (Aye), Commissioner Walls (Aye), Commissioner Williams (Abstain), Chairperson May (Aye). The commission will forward the conditional rezoning agreement to council for final approval.

The applicant may later need separate special‑land‑use approval and state licensing if the daycare serves more than six children. The council has the final decision on zoning changes; the planning commission's recommendation and the draft conditional agreement will accompany the item to council.