An excerpt from Bess Rich’s Newsletter to her constituents in District 3:

I have received many calls and e-mails about the rezoning of the cleared property on Girby Rd. People are very concerned about its intended use and they also noted the rezoning sign placed on the wooded area along Hillcrest Rd. The site is all one parcel. The land is currently split zoned into B-1 and B-3 which was granted in 1982.

Last Friday, residents representing nearby neighborhoods and I met with the owners/developers of this parcel. We were shown the plans and they stated they were requesting the entire site be zoned B-1 at the Thursday, March 23rd, Planning Commission (PC) meeting. They said they plan to build 30 single detached homes for seniors and possibly one or two one-story assisted living facilities towards the rear of the property in the future. The plans also include an office park of three buildings off of Girby Rd. All the buildings would be accessed on a one drive entryway which would then lead to the residential homes. They assured everyone present that the site would not be utilized for an apartment complex. They said the development was to be owner financed and there was no government subsidy involved in the development.

At this time, all the plans are not finalized and they will ultimately require approval of the PC as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The exposure to the PC for their PUD approval will allow citizens an opportunity to address the development at a future PC meeting.

Those present were also informed that the property fronting Hillcrest Rd. is considered wetlands and there are restrictions on building on that portion of property due to Corp of Engineering guidelines. The only area to be developed for this senior residential complex is the cleared site visible from Girby Rd. They did mention the need for a gated type of entry off Hillcrest Rd. for emergency vehicles. That would be the call of the City’s Traffic Engineering Department, if granted. I believe the road within the complex would be privately developed as a part of the PUD.