City Commission set to consider former west side Best Wok rezone
City Commissioners are scheduled to consider a rezone request during their June 4 meeting for the former west side Best Wok.
The rezone request requires a public hearing.
The planning board voted to recommend approval during their April 9 meeting.
Town Pump submitted a request to rezone the property from M-2 mixed use transitional to C-2 general commercial to allow the existing building at 1525 3rd St. N.W. to be redeveloped into a lounge, casino and provide off-premise alcohol sales.
City Commission to consider former Best Wok rezone on June 4
The land use of a casino isn’t allowed in the M-2 zoning, which is why the company has requested the zone change for their planned project.
City staff is recommending approval of the rezone request.
The building is currently vacant on 0.87 acres.
The westside Best Wok was established in 2016 and before that, it was the New Peking restaurant, with a lounge, casino and liquor sales, according to the city staff report.
At that time, each use was considered legal nonconforming as they were established upon the property before current zoning regulations. According to city code, if a nonconforming use ceases for any reason for more than 24 months, any subsequent use shall conform with the code, according to the staff report.
Since the previous uses of a lounge, casino and liquor sales haven’t occurred on the site for more than 24 months, the proposed project requires a zone change to continue those uses, according to city staff.
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The property is currently within the M-2 mixed use transitional zoning district, as are properties to the north, east and south.
Property across the street, to the west of the subject property, is zoned C-2 general commercial, the same zoning being requested.
The M-2 district is “intended to promote a transition over time to a predominately mixed-use land use pattern. Because of changing economic conditions and other factors, some current uses do not represent the highest and best use, given other more suitable areas. The proposed C-2 District primarily intends to accommodate high-traffic businesses that focus on vehicle traffic. Staff finds the request to rezone to C-2 is appropriate because of the existing conditions of the commercial site and its location upon a principal arterial, 3rd Street Northwest, that can accommodate high traffic business activity, which is a defining characteristic of the C-2 District,” according to the staff report.
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Staff haven’t yet received any public comment on the rezone request and the neighborhood council voted 2-1 to support the request during their March 7 meeting, according to the staff report.
In their report, staff wrote that they believe the city’s current growth policy and the Missouri River Urban Corridor Plan supports the request.
The site has two existing accesses onto 3rd Street Northwest and no significant change to traffic impact or demand is anticipated, according to city staff.
Approval of the infill project that uses existing infrastructure and is located in an area already served by city public safety resources, is “expected to result in the redevelopment of an existing vacant commercial building, increasing the property’s value. This, in turn, would result in increased revenue for the city and other entities whose revenue is based upon property valuation. The applicant will bear the cost of utility connections and all site improvements,” according to staff.
