City Council approved a rezoning ordinanceMarch 11 to remove the Williams Drive Special Area Plan Overlay District rules that governed a portion of Williams Drive.

The district added a layer of development standardswhich some city officials said was restrictiveto the areas base zoning districts, which are primarily residential and office with some commercial zoning.

The zoning change eases restrictions for property owners wanting to develop their land within the districts boundaries, Georgetown Project Coordinator Andreina Davila-Quintero said.

The city deemed Williams Drive a priority for redevelopment projects to help the commercial corridor continue to grow and revitalize the area.

We want to be more consistent with what our future plans are for the city, Davila-Quintero said in January. The standards in the overlay district were the same as [city standards] in the 1980s. A lot has changed in the past 30 years. The market has changed, and our community has evolved.

The overlay district, which ran from Shannon Lane to Power Road, was created in 2003 to help the light-commercial uses that had developed along the roadway coexist with the surrounding residential community, she said.

The zoning change will allow more offices, including medical facilities, as well as personal services, such as salons and day spas, dance studios and restaurants with some limitations, Davila-Quintero said.

City Council approved a resolution in September to begin removing the overlay, and in December a public meeting was held to discuss how removing the overlay district would affect property owners.