Tyrone Planning Commission voted 3-0 Thursday to deny a rezoning request that would have added office space to a two-acre tract on Dogwood Trail. Commissioners decision was bolstered by several neighbors that believed rezoning the property from residential to office would essentially move the Market Hill development in their back yards.

Property owner Russell K. Jones requested that the two-acre tract at 632 Dogwood Trail be rezoned from Residential to Office-Institutional (OI). The property is located immediately to the west of the Market Hill development on Dogwood Trail. With an OI zoning designation Jones said he would likely receive a better price for the property.

Several neighbors expressed concerns over the rezoning request. Among those was Nancy Nebergall, who told commissioners she did not want further commercial creep occurring in the largely residential neighborhood. With existing property on the north, south and west sides of the property already residential, she said having an office building there would negatively effect her property value.

Also opposing the rezoning was another resident, John Watkins, who maintained that Dogwood Trail was never intended to handle the current flow of traffic. The only people the rezoning would benefit, he said, would be the builder and the seller. Watkins said the site should maintain its current residential zoning.

“When you buy into a subdivision you don’t generally expect to fight battles like this,” Watkins said.

In his report, Town Manager Barry Amos told commissioners the rezoning request was consistent with the city’s Land Use Map. He agreed that road does have significant traffic, adding that, if rezoned OI, vehicles would access the property using Dogwood Trail. Amos also recommended that the property would require adequate buffering and screening.

Commissioners agreed with area residents, citing similar concerns. Commissioner Kevin Edwards said that even if 632 and 630 Dogwood Trail came available at the same time and requested OI zoning, a possibility raised earlier in the public hearing, such a move would put offices in people’s back yards.

After discussion, commissioners voted 3-0 to deny the request.

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