REZONING ISSUES DOMINATE MEETING

JACKSON -- Underscoring the city's rapid growth, the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday rezoned three potential developments and approved two subdivision plats.

A public hearing on the 10-acre Willow Bend Subdivision off Greensferry Road in the town's northeast end evoked no comments except from Edward Leoni, the property's developer.

He asked the council to rezone the property from single-family to general residential.

The board approved Willow Bend's final plat and rezoning, and Leoni said he will begin construction of duplexes today. There are 23 lots in the subdivision, which will include streets that are 33 feet and 27 feet wide and plentiful street lighting.

In other business, aldermen rejected the advice of the city's planning and zoning board to approve the rezoning of 1005 Highway 72 West, owned by Gladys Siebert.

Siebert plans to build rental storage units on the property.

Only one aldermen, Fred Leimer, dissented in the vote.

Several residents near the area initially objected to the rezoning measure, but none attended Monday's meeting.

Siebert agreed to plant a tree line to separate her property from her neighbors'. She also agreed to keep lighting directed at the storage units and to allow renters access to the site only between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight.

Another issue hotly debated in earlier meetings, the rezoning of the extension of East Main Street from single-family residential to general commercial, elicited no comment from the relatively large audience.

The board voted 5-2 to rezone the property.

Nearby homeowners had said earlier that development of the extension would result in flooding on their property.

In other action, the board welcomed Stephen Wilson as the new city administrator. Wilson, who replaces former administrator Carl Talley, will be sworn in at the board's Nov. 21 meeting.

Talley will stay on as a consultant for the city.