An area may be zoned for a particular use. When that use or business is no longer there, an entity may request a zone change because they want to use the space differently. This allows the county over sight as to how vacant spaces are used. I used to be on a planning board and, although I do not know the specific rules of this particular county, asking for a zoning change is not unusual, nor are the people making the decisions”dirty.” This application seems sensible to me, all except the one about reserving street space for parking. Perhaps this overreach is a bargaining chip on the developer's part as in, “okay, I will give up the street parking if you approve this.”
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