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Hancock’s planning commission approved two zoning applications for residential developments last night. The 306 Hancock Street development will add an addition above the existing garage on the property. The addition will convert the structure into a duplex. A second zoning application approved by the commission will construct a five-unit town house on north Lincoln Street. The commission additionally tabled action on the zoning applications for the Navy Street development with J.S. Stringer Properties.
A final action item taken by the planning commission converted an industrial-zoned property to r-1 residential. Some residents living adjacent to the rezoned parcel voiced concern that the development will eliminate some of the woods in the area increasing the sound from the nearby highway and snowmobile trail.
“That wood is our buffer for noise for the whole subdivision. And the whole subdivision is against the rezoning. The noise from the city garage, the snowmobile trail, the noise from the road, all of it. That keeps the noise down in our subdivision.” – Mary Pekkala, Hancock Resident
City Manager Mary Babcock explained that industrial zones have fewer development restrictions, and rezoning the lot will be better for the amount of noise generated in the area than a garage for equipment or mechanic shop.
“It didn’t have an owner in our tax base for many years, and it is Webben’s property. It was formerly Paul Tomasi’s property. Industrial has very limited protection for development. So there are pros and cons to, I guess, all sides of it. But it looks like a viable project. The water and sewer are very close in that area.” – Mary Babcock, City Manager, Hancock
Hancock’s planning commission has approved the rezoning application for the development off of Tomasi drive to create multiple single-family homes on the parcels. The developer will still need to have the zoning application approved by the planning commission and city council before work can begin.
