Over opposition from neighboring residents and businesses, the Jacksonville City Council approved a rezoning request on June 24 to allow for construction of five residences in the Stockton Street town center in Riverside.
On a 16-0 vote, Council approved rezoning Ordinance 2024-0539 for construction of the two-story homes on a 0.23-acre rectangular lot between Myra and College streets. The rezoning was from Planned Unit Development to a new PUD that allows for the residential development.
Council members Terrance Freeman, Joe Carlucci and Ken Amaro were on excused absences.
The lot is owned by the John Gorrie Investment Group LLC, which, according to state records, is led by former Jacksonville Jaguars owners Delores Barr Weaver and J. Wayne Weaver.
The previous PUD allowed for commercial construction on up to 80% of the property, according to a representative for the Weavers, Greg Matovina.
During Council committee hearings, a chief concern among neighbors about the development was that it included no off-street parking.
Businesses on the north side of Stockton Street across from the lot said the residences, which the developer refers to as “row-style” houses, would leave fewer available parking spaces for their customers along Stockton Street. Parking space is already limited, they said.
At-Large Group 5 Council member Chris Miller, who lives in the neighborhood, said there are 35 regular spaces and two spaces for disabled individuals at the town center. There are 10 businesses in the area, he said, none of which have off-street parking.
Another concern was that the project would take up to 20 spaces offline during construction of the houses. In an amendment to the ordinance, the developer agreed to commit to taking steps to reduce the effect of the construction, such as perhaps closing five spaces at a time while the houses are being built.
Neighbors also raised concerns about flooding and traffic safety.
Council members Raul Arias, Jimmy Peluso and Chris Miller said they would work with city staff to protect the businesses across from the houses from losing customers because of the parking limitations.
Possible solutions include creating additional parking along nearby stretches of Myra Street where parking is currently restricted, designating parking spaces along Stockton Street for the businesses and posting hours in which those spaces are available only to customers of the businesses.
Peluso, whose District 7 includes the Stockton Street town center, said any parking solutions would need to comply with the Riverside-Avondale overlay, a special set of zoning regulations that provide historic protections for the neighborhood.
“We have a lot of people we need to bring to the table if we’re going to crack that nut,” he said.
The Council Land Use and Zoning Committee voted 6-0 on June 17 to recommend approval of the rezoning, with some members saying that the commercial use allowed by previous PUD would put a much greater strain on parking supply and create more traffic than the five houses.