The City Council has approved a request by the Davis County School District to temporarily rezone Main Street property to accommodate an alternative junior high school.
At the same meeting, the council denied a rezone request that would have produced more than 100 town houses along State.The school district plans to use the former Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center building at 435 S. Main for Davis Junior High School, an alternative school that would house some 50 students.
The area was zoned for manufacturing, and the Planning Commission originally opposed the change to accommodate the school because the site hasn't been used as a school for some 14 years (it was originally an elementary school), and a school was now out of character with the area.
City Manager Jack Bippes said the City Council and Planning Commission toured the facility with the city staff and decided to reconsider the request with some stipulations.
A big concern is the truck and railroad traffic in the area. However, the district decided to bus all students to the school to increase safety in the busy area.
The school district also promised to use the site for a temporary, one-year period.
"The council felt it was in the best interests to provide the temporary location," Bippes said.
After one year, the property will revert to a manufacturing zone.
Michael Brodsky of Hamlet Development Co. wanted the city to rezone 18 acres just west of Tom Winegar's grocery store from commercial to multifamily to allow the development of 150 town house units.