New shopping center axed after residents object
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Tripp Gulliford of Florida-based Midland Development appeared before the Planning Commission to request a zoning change from R-1 residential to C-2 commercial.
The property in question is 12.5 acres owned by Swanson Bennett. That land would have been combined with 10 acres owned by Gene Sanders, which is already zoned commercial, to house the shopping center.
Midland Development wanted to place a 100,000-square-foot shopping center on the land located between Wilson Lane and the bypass. The shopping center would have been anchored by a 65,000-square-foot grocery store with a clothing store, restaurant, and other shops also expected.
Nearby residents didn’t hide their displeasure and showed up in force to protest. Duane Rondolet had a petition opposing the development which was signed by around 300 people.
“I don’t think another grocery store is what McMinnville needs,” said Rondolet. “With all the money we’re sinking into Main Street, I think downtown could hold some of those specialty stores. Have people shop down there.”
Residents were concerned about increased traffic, neighborhood safety issues, and several people said they didn’t like the thought of looking out their front door and seeing a shopping center. Zach Wilson said he couldn’t imagine how traffic wouldn’t increase by 10-fold.
Karen Spivey said her family considered buying land outside the city limits, but the less stringent zoning requirements were worrisome. She said she purchased a home in McMinnville because she believed zoning would keep something undesirable from moving next door.
“To change the zoning to commercial would be a slap in the face to everybody who bought property in the city,” said Spivey. “There are no guarantees as to what could end up going there once it’s zoned commercial. There could be a tobacco shop, a liquor store. Who knows what could move in there. We’re the town that couldn’t even keep a Kmart.”
Jim Welch said he’s worried increased traffic would lead to more litter in front of his Shelbyville Road home.
“I already get a 5-gallon bucket full when I pick up trash,” said Welch. “There’s no telling what it would be if that shopping center went in. I can’t pick up that much trash. I’m getting old.”
Not all area residents opposed the shopping center. Scott Jaco said if it improves his property value, he would support it. Gail Campbell said she would enjoy the new stores.
“It might give us some better places to shop,” said Campbell. “I’m for jobs and I think it would bring jobs to the city. And if it was landscaped properly, I think it would help.”
The property owned by Gene Sanders is already zoned commercial and he says he’s received quite a bit of interest in it. But he needed Bennett’s land to also be zoned commercial to complete this deal.
“We would like to see something nice in there and this is a shopping center not a strip mall,” said Sanders. “We have a lot of friends and relatives in McMinnville and we want to be able to do something nice for the area. We want to be able to look you in the eye. Honestly, I’m a little surprised by all the opposition. We thought people would want this.”
After hearing arguments from both sides, committee member Charles Bogle made a motion to deny the rezoning request. The committee then voted unanimously to deny rezoning.
Chairman David Marttala admitted it was a difficult decision and said he would feel more comfortable changing city zoning if there was a better long-range plan in place.
“It’s a reality the bypass is there now and it’s a prime location especially because you have a light,” said Marttala. “But I have a problem making this commercial.
“To me, this is similar to the developers who wanted to reopen the Ben Lomand Drive-In several years back. And I would love to have a drive-in here as much as anybody. But we voted to turn that down because there were people who had committed to build a residential area around it.”
Even if the Planning Commission had voted to rezone the property, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen would have still had to approve the change. Alderman Donald Hillis spoke up against the rezoning at Monday’s meeting so that would have been one vote against it.