The zoning change would turn the camp's property into a planned unit development for single-family detached and attached residences, according to the April 21commission meeting agenda.
Camp Doublecreek was founded in 1971 as an accessible summer day camp that offers a rural feel in a suburban area, said Dan Neal, Camp Doublecreek co-owner and director. Now the camp is surrounded by commercial and residential developments, and the increased traffic has become a safety headache, he said.
After entertaining the idea of having the property rezoned, the camp owners started looking for someone who would be interested in the property and selected David Weekley Homes.
Currently, the property is zoned C-1 for general commercial and SF-2 for single-family standard lot, according to the meeting agenda. Neal said the C-1 zoning was designated to the property in 1984 when there was no other zoning that made sense for the property at the time. When David Weekley Homes presented the zoning change request to the commission, the C-1 zoning got their attention because it no longer makes sense for the area, Neal said.
While Camp Doublecreek will eventually relocate from Double Creek Drive, the summer camp will continue in the region. For now, Neal said Camp Doublecreek plans to remain in its current location for the summers of 2021 and 2022.
"We as a camp are going to continue, but we knew that this location was going to basically become something that might be not as good as a fit as time went on," he said.
During the zoning change hearing, Neal said there were around two hours of deliberation from neighbors making good cases against the change. Neal said the Camp Doublecreek team has loved and adored its neighbors, but the eventual relocation is just a byproduct of growth in the city.
