Citizens voiced their concerns over a possible zoning change at Moody’s City Council last week. Signs reading “No zoning changes’ have popped up in the yards of residents who live down Park Avenue over the past couple of weeks.

  Fred Moody, a descendant of Moody’s founding family, said he was concerned about a zoning change that is in the works and could possibly rezone approximately two miles of Park Avenue from Moody to Brompton. The proposed plan includes changing the area from R-1 (Residential) and AG (Agriculture) to B-5 (Commercial Industrial Park District).

The proposed plan’s intent reads “The purpose of the commercial industrial park district is to provide for the retailing of goods and services, the light manufacture and assembly of products and the warehousing and distribution of such products within the controlled environment of an attractive, park-like setting. Minimum lot sizes are defined, front, side and rear yards are required, signage is restricted and landscaping and natural buffers are specified.”

Fred Moody said he represents himself, but his feelings are typical of about 50 other families in the proposed B5 zoning and that they want the property zoned as needed on a site-to-site basis.  “It looks like the proposed plan for B5 zoning may start back over,” he said. “I would like to challenge and say to all of you and the planning board especially to read the documents and know what you are doing,” he said. “Get input on from us. We are the ones affected by it. There are about 50 families who would not fit into B5. We are not opposed to improving the city of Moody, but the general consensus of everyone is that if we want our land rezoned, we will ask for it.”  Fred Moody said they plan on working 100 percent with the city, the planning commission and anyone to give their ideas and input into the proposed plan.

City Attorney Bill Weathington said that after looking into the zoning and the maps a few weeks back that they did discover a few key issues in the plan. He said they are listening to landowner’s concerns and are making amendments.

He added that when the planning commission considered the map, it was voted on as a tie. “The city council in light of concerns decided to revisit the plan which we are in the process of doing,” Weathington said. “The council never put the proposal on their agenda. They are not going to put it on the agenda. There is no rezoning imminent. At this point it is a work in progress.”