The board of mayor and aldermen voted to rezone a parcel of property to Commercial despite protests from local resid ents who fear development along the two-land road would lead to more accidents.

During the public comment portion of the meeting neighborhood resident Deborah Truan warned that the country road near the land being considered is already crowded and that adding more development would be a recipe for wrecks.

Deborah Truan reminded the board that they were arguing the same issue concerning Cobb Road about the rezoning two years ago when the landowners wanted to rezone to C-3 so the land could get a higher price.

“It was a really nice farm when I was growing up but now it’s been stripped of all the trees,” she said. “There’s basically just dirt, mud and gravel.”

She said Cobb Road is a still a country, two-lane road that is already tight. “Now you have a subdivision, Tisha Estates, that’s being built,” she said. “That’s going to add to that little road. You’re going to have a lot of accidents due to the high traffic volume so I hope you will consider keeping that as R-1 property.”

The applicant, according to Samuel Luthi, Director of Planning and Development, wanted to rezone lot 38 closest to the railway on the southern end of the Southern Harmony Subdivision adjacent to the Pepsi Plant and water tower. The applicant told Luthi their intent in rezoning was to use the property for more housing, apartments in particular.

Nicholas Northcutt of Northcutt Surveying represented the property owner. “It will not contribute negatively to any of the concerns brought up by the neighbors,” he maintained, noting the portion of Cobb Road impacted is already wide enough to accommodate trucks from the Pepsi plant. He said the existing drainage would be more than adequate for the area.

Any actual building will require a building permit and that would have to go through the Planning Commission.

The motion to rezone carried 4-2 with Aldermen Jerry Mathis and Bobbie Wilson voting against.