Real estate investor Bill Raines has been trying to develop a 15-acre property in Walden since he purchased it about 30 years ago. This month, the Walden Mayor and Board of Alderman voted 2-1 to approve his request to rezone the property, allowing him to move forward with a proposed development of 42 townhomes.
Previously zoned for single-family residential use, the property at 2315 Taft Highway was rezoned to Walden’s town center residential district, a designation established in the town’s recently developed land use plan that allows for multifamily residential uses including townhomes.
Alderwoman Angela Cassidy, the board member who voted no on the rezoning, suggested before the vote that the rezoning request be sent back to the Planning Commission for further review.
Cassidy emphasized the importance of aligning the proposed development with the town’s land use plan and design guidelines, which are not yet finalized.
Vice Mayor Lizzy Schmidt asked Town Attorney Sam Elliott if board members had the option to refuse the rezoning request since Raines fulfilled all the requirements for rezoning applicants.