The Brownwood City Council met Tuesday morning, January 26. Much of the morning was spent in a Public Hearing and discussion concerning a zoning change request.
The public hearing was held on a request to change zoning at 2409 Austin Avenue to allow for construction of a 12-unit apartment complex. Planning and Zoning approved the request January 7th after no opposition was received.
Tuesday morning, however, homeowners who live near 2409 Austin Avenue came in person or by telephone to oppose construction of a 12 unit apartment complex. Dacz Arcaya of Leander, Texas, officer of Arcaya Properties, (photo below) presented his plan to renovate an existing building on the property and construct the complex saying he has done a similar project in Leander. He said the apartments would rent in a range from $950 to $1,050 per month and an on-site manager would live on the property. Council members took a look at the plans for the complex and complimented Arcaya on the plans for the property.
Reasons for opposition included concern about property taxes, more congestion in the area, parking and garbage pickup issues. After hearing opposition, Arcaya offered to meet with the homeowners with concerns. The City offered to provide a facility to hold the meeting.
The City Council members went ahead and unanimously approved, on first reading, the zoning change request to move forward to the next reading in a couple weeks.
It was agreed that the City Council will then have time to listen to citizen input and the citizens in opposition will have time to sit down with the developer and discuss their differences.
This zoning change request will be back before City Council at a meeting in February.
In other business, and after another Public Hearing, City Council passed unanimously an ordinance to change the zoning classification on 19.311 acres of land at 2605 Morris Sheppard Drive from C-1 Local Business District to M-1 Restricted Industrial District. The move brings the property into compliance with a potential business wanting to expand in Brownwood, as explained by Ray Tipton of the Brownwood Municipal Development District. There was no opposition to this request which was previously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission on January 7.