The lot of Bell Street that started conversation about downzoning in North Volker.
Talk of downzoning the north side of the Volker neighborhood followed a controversy over a multi-family unit on Bell Street.
That was resolved last year after a compromise by the developer at 3616 Bell St., but the rezoning effort moved forward.
On Tuesday, the City Plan Commission voted to approve it.
Susan Kysela, president of the neighborhood, told the commission the rezoning is needed.
“We were lucky the developer scaled back the project,” she said, “but we know we can’t count on being lucky the next time something like this comes along.”
Melissa Koch, a neighborhood resident, said the down zoning will protect diversity in the area while preventing developers from putting together small lots to create large apartment projects.
The downzoning area is generally bounded by W. 32nd Street to the north, 39th Street on the south, State Line Road on the west and Wyoming Street, Roanoke Road and Karnes Boulevard on the east.
About five properties on the edges were exempted from the change, with the approval of the neighborhood.
The new R-5 district will not allow multi-unit buildings of up to eight living units on a single lot, the kind that triggered the Bell Street controversy. But such existing units and other multi-family remain legal, grandfathered in under certificates of legal non-conformance.
Kysela said, “We’re pretty pleased with the way this worked out.”
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