Fairfield-Echo.com

Weeks of heated debate over the proposed rezoning of a parcel of land on U.S. 27 south of Oxford have come to an end.

At least until next week.

City Council voted 5-2 in favor of an amended ordinance changing the zoning of 3.26 acres of land near the intersection of U.S. 27 and Southpointe Parkway from multifamily residential to general business at its May 6 meeting.

"Anybody who followed this development from the beginning knew there was a small commercial area at that corner," Councilor Dick Keebler said. "It's technically a rezoning, but it really is simply granting the zoning we agreed to give them at the annexation."

Council amended the initial ordinance slightly, altering the wording to denote the precise location of the parcel in relation to surrounding roadways.

The land was annexed into Oxford along with the rest of the Southpointe development almost a decade ago, with the city planning to zone the plot in the same way the county previously had. It wasn't until city staff members were reviewing the area for the comprehensive plan update that the clerical error was detected, Community Development Director Jung-Han Chen said.

Councilor Alysia Fischer voted against rezoning, reasoning that she could not make a decision on the matter until she was provided with every exhibit pertinent to the issue. Council had tabled the ordinance at an April 15 meeting, citing the need for an additional exhibit mentioned in the annexation agreement.

While the issue of rezoning the plot has been resolved, Oxford Planning Commission members will deal with the area again at their Tuesday, May 13, meeting.

An application for an automobile service station to occupy the land came before the commission in April, but was tabled until the council made a decision on the zoning. The initial proposal called for a 9,300-square-foot building with a 10-pump gas station covered with a canopy.

Discussion Tuesday included dialogue regarding the repercussions of the developer withdrawing from the city and a buffer separating the commercial space from directly connecting with U.S. 27.

Multiple community members voiced concern over the potential service station, warning it would further detract from the aesthetic value of U.S. 27 headed into Oxford.

Vote for this story!