City Council recently approved the rezoning requested by Miller Road LLC from rural residential to general commercial gateway overlay that was recommended Jan. 16 by the city Planning Commission.
City Manager Scott Brunka said the land is intended to be developed for retail and office use and has been included in Lebanon’s comprehensive master plan to accommodate the expansion of the Columbus Avenue retail corridor.
City officials said the site currently contains vacant farm fields, with Miller Road cutting along the northern border of the area. The surrounding area consists of developed retail uses along Columbus Avenue and rural agricultural lands to the north and west. The former rail right-of-way, that separates the primary parcel from the Kroger site, was also part of the request.
City officials said the property was included in a 1996 pre-annexation agreement as part of the eminent domain negotiations for the construction of the Miller Road extension. At that time, the designated future use of the property was for commercial use in the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
During the council discussion, Brunka said the city is interested in future acquisition of land north of Miller Road and that there have been some retailers interested possible development. However, there has been nothing filed with the city for any projects as of last week.
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