Three lots on East McCarty Street and one lot of West Truman Boulevard could be rezoned this year, if the Jefferson City Council accepts the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendations.
But a planned hearing and discussion were postponed until next month for a request to rezone the lower part of the Rickman Conference Center property, on both sides for Route B, from "rural" to "general commercial."
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America recently sold the land to F&F Development for $1.1 million.
F&F Development's subsidiary, Farmer Holding Company, plans to use a portion of the roughly 200-acre property - the 19.51 acres included in the church's rezoning request to the city - for its own operations.
Farmer Holding said last week it will partner with the HALO Foundation for use of the remaining land and buildings.
Eric Barron, senior planner for Jefferson City, told commissioners the one-month delay occurred because "that case needs to be paired up with a comprehensive plan amendment" for the commission's action, and those papers weren't submitted in time to be advertised for Thursday's meeting.
On the East McCarty Street request, John Price, of New Bloomfield, told commissioners he bought two undeveloped lots just east of the Doehla Drive-East McCarty Street intersection in 2007.
"We had planned to put, possibly, an office building there," he explained. "Of course, the market changed right after that, and it has been for sale pretty much since 2008."
Despite listings with several real estate agents, Price said he's had no interest in sales as a commercial property, but a lot of requests for "residential income."
He reported "interested parties right now would like to put either a four-plex or a couple of duplexes" on the two lots. Although he has no contract, Price said he has verbal commitments if the property is rezoned.
A four-plex already exists on one lot just west of the intersection, so the commission approved rezoning all three lots to multi-family residential, from the current general commercial zoning.
On the west side of town, commissioners approved a preliminary PUD (planned unit development) plan for construction of a 12,130 square-foot preschool and 50-space parking lot on 1.54 acres at 3219 Masonic Court, across the street from the Jefferson City Masonic Lodge - about 250 feet south of West Truman Boulevard.
Consultant Gary Oberkrom said the owners hope to "have this up and running by next November - about a year."
The city has long-range plans for a part of the Greenway Trail to follow the branch of Wears Creek that runs behind the property, but the plans leave room for that future path.
Oberkrom said fencing will keep the preschool's students from getting on the greenway or into the water overflow system designed to meet federal EPA rules for treating run-off water so it won't pollute the creek.
The City Council will hold public hearings Nov. 16 on all three zoning changes.
Commissioners Thursday night also endorsed some language changes to the zoning code, affecting asphalt plants, heavy equipment sales, landfills and compost sites.
The City Council also must approve those changes.