City Council approved the rezoning of 1200-1300 N. Park Lane, during their regular City Council meeting held Tuesday March 5. The Council followed the recommendation of the Altus City Planning Commission to rezone the N. Park Lane property from Suburban Commercial to Auto Urban Commercial.

Attorney John McCabe from Oklahoma City, representing Iva Rogers and other property owners who oppose the rezoning, said that any action taken on the rezoning of this property is now “null and void” under Oklahoma Law Title 11 and ordinances, because this item was already voted on and denied on Feb. 19, during the last regular meeting of the City Council.

He continued that the rezoning does not meet criteria according to Section 14.301 “Amendments to the Zoning Map” states, since the adoption of a Comprehensive Map amendment, City Council may not approve the rezoning unless the following findings are made: a substantial change has occurred in the character of the neighborhood where the property is located, a mistake was made in the existing zoning classification, or the amount of land a particular zoning classification sought is in short supply and thus warrants addition land being zoned for the application.

Barbara Burleson of the Altus City Planning Commission explained that the rezoning does meet criteria because the substantial change to the property is that after many years has still not been developed.

City Council voted on the Ordinance to rezone the tract of land with a vote of six to two.