Cedar Park council denies Old Mill Road site rezoning

Only councilmen Mitch Fuller, Place 2, and Donald Tracy, Place 6, voted for the motion to rezone. Both voted against another motion denying the rezoning.

Planning Manager Amy Link said the city's future land use plan shows offices at the site.

Tracy said he agreed the city must adhere to its vision of seeking businesses over residences. But the city can attract larger employers, rather than insist on drawing small offices at the Old Mill Road site, Tracy said.

Fuller said he agreed with developer representatives who said they find it difficult to attract offices to what they said was a residential area.

"This is the market speaking," Fuller said. "Our office strategy is big-picture."

Cedar Park Planning and Zoning Commissioner Scott Rogers said the commission debated the site's rezoning long and deeply before its narrow vote of support.

"There are a lot of office spots that are way better than this throughout our city," Rogers said.

Cedar Park Mayor Matt Powell said he agrees the site does not seem attractive for offices, but city leaders want to keep diversifying its tax base. Retail, offices and industry are the solutions, he said.

Place 3 Councilman Lyle Grimes said the site may host medical or other offices that could benefit city residents or the Shenandoah neighborhood to the south.

The site is not a prime location for office, but Old Mill Road is classified a collector road, Grimes said.

"More residents are going up and down Lakeline every single day," he said.

Place 5 Councilman Jon Lux said the city must stick with its vision and avoid exceptions.

The 10.51-acre site has undeveloped property zoned for offices to the east and the SoccerZone Lakeline facility to the west. To the north and across Old Mill Road are existing houses.

Powell said he had earlier hoped for a compromise about the site, such as keeping a portion of the site closer to Lakeline zoned for offices, while the rest was zoned residential. The developer was reluctant about that and other options, Powell said.

"It's an ugly case," Powell said. "I think both sides make very good arguments."