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By David Walsh

By MATT BLOIS

A plan to ban residential uses from some business districts in Spring Hill moved forward this week.

The plan would prohibit housing in several business districts, but housing projects that have already been submitted would likely be allowed to proceed.

The Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted in favor of the plan at a meeting on Monday night. The board will need to vote on the proposal again in May to finalize the approval. It will also need to vote on whether to exempt projects that have already been submitted.

The proposal passed almost unanimously despite some concerns that it would take away property rights and make it harder to include restaurants and shops in residential areas.

“At my core I’m very much a property rights advocate,” Alderman Chad Whittenburg said at the meeting. “When you’re considering property rights, you’re considering the property rights of that one property owner. But we’re elected to look at the rights of all of our constituents.” 

Spring Hill is currently working on a major rewrite of its zoning code. If the city adopts the new zoning code, it would override existing zoning regulations. But that process could take months. Mayor Rick Graham suggested banning housing from business districts as a way to slow down growth before the city votes on the new zoning rules.

Even though the change would likely be temporary, Alderman Matt Fitterer said that it wouldn’t have much of an impact in the short term. It usually takes time for developers to move from approval to construction. He said stopping new projects now would probably have more of an impact years down the road.

“We’ve got enough existing lot inventory that needs to be dried up before this would take a major effect anyway,” he said.

He voted for the proposal, but said he would prefer to deal with the city’s rapid growth in the rewrite of the city’s zoning rules.

Vice Mayor Bruce Hull also voted for the proposal, but said he was a little uncomfortable because it does strip away some property rights. Additionally, he said that allowing housing in business districts encourages developments with both homes and businesses. Those types of developments make it easier for residents to walk to the places they want to go, such as shops or restaurants.

Several other aldermen expressed concern that the proposal would take away property rights, but all seemed to agree that the city was growing too fast.

The board gave the proposal an initial approval, but Alderman Vincent Fuqua and Mayor Rick Graham said they were open to tweaking the proposal before final approval. They suggested allowing some housing, rather than an outright ban. They said that would hopefully slow down development some without eliminating developments that mix housing and businesses.

After the board voted in favor of the proposal, developer John Maher warned that limiting the use of business districts could discourage economic development in the area.

“We have committees to try to draw businesses to us but then you point at the folks that are providing housing for them and say they’re the problem,” he said during the public comment period. “I believe that wen you start changing he uses, downgrading zongings that you will put a fear into other potential developers or investors.”

The board will vote on the proposal again at its meeting on May 21. That vote will be the final decision.