MEDICINE PARK – The Medicine Park Board of Trustees recently changed the zoning classification for properties at 121 and 130 Merry Circle from residential to commercial, setting the stage for commercial development on those lots.
The board hosted a Sept. 18 public hearing on the proposed change, but no one spoke either for or against it. Afterward the board voted 3-0 to rezone the properties from R-1 residential to C-1 commercial.
People who own land bordering the properties were notified of the proposed zoning change ahead of the public hearing, but no one has voiced opposition to the change, Mayor John Branch said. “I don’t believe I’ve had any complaints on this request.”
Property owner Nancy Washburn, who requested the change, said Medicine Park’s comprehensive plan contemplates commercial development in that part of town. “I think it was built into the comprehensive plan, actually, to be up there,” she said.
Washburn said deeds for the properties will include several restrictions on how the land may be used. She said the lots may not be used for the following types of businesses:
• A sexually oriented business, as defined by state law.
• A carwash.
• A chain or franchise restaurant or business.
• Multifamily residential units.
• A rental for short-term or longer homestays, an arrangement in which a visitor pays to stay with a local family.
Washburn told Southwest Ledger that she does not plan to develop the properties herself, but she is hoping to sell it to a commercial developer.