DESOTO—The DeSoto City Council continued last month’s meeting by revisiting the Hampton Road Character zoning area.
DeSoto residents had voiced concerns regarding the rezoning ordinance relating to properties in the Hampton Road Character zoning area.
The five new zoning districts included the Urban Center, Urban General, Neighborhood Services, Urban Neighborhood, and Neighborhood Transition. Residents spoke in April and again last week, many against and some in support of the changes.
Applicants at the April meeting said they did not believe their voices had been heard, making last week’s meeting a chance for speakers to respond to the new zoning ordinance by way of public comment before the city council.
DeSoto’s Development Services Director Charles Brewer opened the Public Hearing by reminding the council on March 26, 2024, a public hearing was held on the rezoning with 34 comment cards presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission: 16 in opposition, 10 in support, and eight individuals being neutral to the city’s request to rezone all the properties within the new Hampton Road Character Zone area.
Following this, a motion was made to recommend this to the city council, but with only five members in attendance at the meeting, the recommendation failed.
The council revisited the public hearing in April, and 17 public comment cards were presented to it; 12 were in opposition, and five individuals were in support of the changes.
Since then, Brewer said the city’s consultants conducted two public engagement meetings in late April, and they made a presentation to the council at the May public hearing. On April 22, 60 residents attended the engagement meeting, and on April 23, 33 individuals attended.
The consultant, Brad Johnson from Halff Associates, reminded the council that this public hearing was to map the already adopted new zoning district to properties in the new zoning district. Johnson reminded the council that the heart of the new district is about creating a walkable/bikeable feel in this area of DeSoto. An emphasis was on attempting to revitalize the area, offering a new feel for residents and those visiting the city.
Johnson went on to repeat the character code and its basis for necessary change in the rezoned area, reminding businesses already existing there they would be allowed to continue under the previous code if no big changes were implemented by their business.
Johnson also told the council there is support for the project, but property owners are concerned about property values and why the change is necessary.
Johnson told the council that of those who attended the April meetings, their concerns were as diverse as traffic issues due to the new project, not wanting the change, wanting to understand the changes, understanding the zoning impact, and some at the meeting who were in support of the economic benefits forthcoming with the changes.
Johnson’s feedback to the council after the April meetings included integrating more flexibility in the code for single-family homes so that they can rebuild in a disaster, requiring an SUP for accessory dwelling units, and monitoring traffic patterns.
A number of residents spoke at the public hearing, beginning with Madelyn Baker, who said she was in the transition area and there was supposed to be a road through there. ” Everyone is saying there is no plan, but someone has a plan. Who has the plan?” No one on council answered her, and she wanted to know when she would get an answer. Her second question was, “What does the transition area mean to me?” and then she asked, “When will I get the answers?”
Ann Gibson, who has lived in DeSoto since the seventies, said, “I believe all this is as crazy as driving down Chattey Road.” There were laughs and claps as she said, “If this rezoning should be determined and you want to go forward with this, you