The Holden Planning and Zoning Commission made no decision on an application made by Dusty Anstine to have his parcel of land at 500 E. Tenth be rezoned from R-1 to C-1.

This is the third try for Anstine whose applications to rezone the property to R-3 and then R-2 were not approved.  He said that the developer who was interested in constructing four-plexes and duplexes on the land has backed out because of all the opposition by homeowners in the immediate area of the property.

Anstine further explained that he has interest from a local buyer for a commercial business on the land, but would not say who since the deal has not been finalized.

Mayor Mike Wakeman urged the new P&Z board which had only four members present to review the application and wait to make any decisions until the board and the city council had a chance to have a workshop with a land-use expert provided by the Johnson County Economic Development Commission.

He also cautioned the board that there job was not to decide whether a specific venture should be allowed to be on the land but to decide only if the land is feasible to be used for commercial.

Several families who live in the immediate area of the land who had voiced opposition to both the R-2 and R-3 applications were once again on hand and again voiced their opposition to the land being used for commercial.

Anstine told them that he had bent over backward trying to work with the citizens in the area to try to get the land developed first with four-plexes then a plan for six duplexes.  “All I hear is no, no, no,” Anstine stated.  “I asked you to tell us what we could do with the land.  I heard nothing.”

Mayor Wakeman added, “What I hear is mistrust on the part of some of the citizens that we would allow something shoddy to be put up on the land.  Both previous mayor Terry Hedglin and myself have tried to do our darndest to get ordinances in place so that when we build something, we build it right.  Our building codes and ordinances now are very good.  I live in this town and so do our council members.  We don’t want something shoddy to be built any more than you do.”

Local businessman and father of Anstine, Dwight Anstine added to that sentiment, “Dusty and I are very community minded.  We don’t want to build something that’s not good for the city.”

Prior to the hearing and meeting, the P&Z board elected Bev Chaney as their chairman.