FuturEBR amendments: Denied in Southdowns, approved in Oakwood

The Planning Commission on Monday night denied one rezoning request in the Southdowns neighborhood that was not consistent with the FuturEBR master land-use plan, but later OK’d a broader rezoning application in the Oakwood Subdivision off North Sherwood Forest Boulevard that also doesn’t jibe with FuturEBR. The approved rezoning at 11265 Red Oak Dr., from single-family residential to light commercial, allows for more development options than the proposed rezoning that was shot down in Southdowns, which would have been a change from single-family residential to mixed-small planned unit development at the west corner of Perkins Road and Stuart Avenue. Nonetheless, the Oakwood item was passed by the board in a 7-0 vote. The Southdowns property on Perkins Road owned by Ben Skillman, which has a driveway connecting to Stuart Avenue, was denied for rezoning 7-1. “It makes you wonder about the consistency,” say Skillman’s attorney, Randy Roussel. Commissioner Audrey Nabors-Jackson was absent from the meeting; Commissioner Laurie Marien did not vote on the Oakwood rezoning. A standing-room only crowd that was strongly opposed to the Skillman property rezoning pushed Monday’s public hearing to about two hours, while the Oakwood property had only one opponent voice an opinion. Roussell says Skillman will appeal the Planning Commission’s decision on Nov. 20, when the Metro Council takes up the issue at its zoning advisory committee meeting. The Oakwood rezoning must also get final approval from the Metro Council. —Adam Pearson