VALDOSTA – A rezoning request to facilitate the expansion of Valdosta Animal Hospital was approved at a recent Valdosta City Council meeting.

A request to rezone 0.81 acres of land from Office-Professional to Community-Commercial zoning, presented by Jack Langdale on behalf of the property owner, The Credit Shelter Trust via estate of Dr. Jerry Purvis was unanimously approved.

According to city officials, the subject property, situated at 106 W. Northside Drive, occupies a prime location along the north side of the street, approximately halfway between North Oak Street and North Patterson Street.

The property houses a 2,788-square-foot professional office building, which will be repurposed as an off-site expansion for Valdosta Animal Hospital, 111 E. Northside Drive. The proposed plans do not include any physical changes to the site.

Matt Martin, city planning and zoning administrator, highlighted the zoning context of the area surrounding the property.

The surrounding zoning patterns in the area are dominated by mostly C-C Zoning in the area between North Oak and North Patterson streets, with R-P zoning for some of the medical offices across the street.

To the east across North Patterson, there is mostly C-H zoning which is reflective of a more intensive commercial area. To the west of the intersection with North Oak Street, there is R-P and O-P Zoning, with Residential Zoning farther westward.

The surrounding land use pattern generally mimics the zoning pattern and consists of mainly light commercial and professional office type uses, he said.

Martin also discussed the area roads, lanes and turn lane and traffic counts.

“Therefore, allowing the possible conversion of this property to a commercial use is consistent with all of these patterns of the area, and likely facilitates the logical reuse of this property after it has been sitting vacant for more than 13 years,” he said.

Langdale spoke in further favor of the request when prompted by council, further clarifying that no changes are planned for the property.