The Baldwin City Council on Monday narrowly approved the first reading of a rezoning of a westside property that came to it with conflicting recommendations.

No one spoke for or against the rezoning of the property at 1708 High St. at a public hearing on the matter, and the applicants were not at the meeting, but the request still generated considerable discussion because it came to the City Council with recommendations for denial and approval. The Baldwin City Planning Commission voted unanimously last month to approve the rezoning of the property from low-density residential to planned light-industrial, while city staff recommended denial.

The property has High Street frontage, is immediately west of Hey Machinery and abuts the Baldwin Elementary School Primary Center on the north. There is a single-family home rental property to the west. The site is owned by Raymond Crist, who along with Delana Dee Hay made the application for the rezoning.

Baldwin City codes administrator Tina Rakes told the council that staff’s recommendation for denial was based on the property being identified as a future residential growth area in the city’s comprehensive plan. A staff report further pointed out that the planned light-industrial zoning was intended for use in industrial park settings and not for individual lots or tracts.

Rakes said the applicants have indicated they planned to build storage units on the property. She reminded council members that proposed uses shouldn’t be part of their consideration, but rather all uses allowed in a planned light-industrial zoning.

The property is not now platted, and the Planning Commission and City Commission would have to approve a plat before the property could be developed, Rakes said. A development plan would also have to be approved, which would address such things as screening or buffering, lighting and site access, she said.

Councilman Steve Bauer said the rezoning would be a progressive step down from the more industrial zoning of Hey Machinery. He also approved of the rezoning because it would increase the city’s tax base and, perhaps, provide jobs.

Voicing the most concern about the rezoning was Councilman Dave Simmons, and his objections were based more on the Planning Commission’s process than its recommendation. The council has asked the Planning Commission in the past to provide more details of its decision-making process, which he said it again failed to do.

“They didn’t get the message,” he said. “I see staff’s reasons for recommending disapproval. I’d like to see that from the Planning Commission.”

However, the majority of the council was satisfied with the Planning Commission’s recommendation, voting 3-2 to approve. Joining Simmons in opposition was Councilwoman Christi Darnell, who had earlier expressed concern about the possibility of the future development’s compatibility with the neighboring school.

With the first-approval of the rezoning, it will next be considered for final approval at the council’s May 16 meeting.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a capital improvement plan on which council members reached consensus during a series of meetings last month. City Administrator Glenn Rodden said the CIP was meant to be a planning tool that established priorities and funding mechanisms for projects. It was not set in stone, and the City Council could add, remove or reschedule projects, he said.

What made the Baldwin City CIP noteworthy was the number of large building projects before the council, Rodden said. Those projects are a new $2.5 million public works headquarters at the city’s Orange Street yard, a $1.8 million new police station, a $5 million community center and $500,000 in improvements to City Hall.

The approved CIP would move ahead with the public works headquarters in 2017. Its debt would be retired through charges to utility rates and not require voter approval of sales or property tax increases.

The new police station, which would be paid for through a combination of sales and property taxes, was slotted for 2018 on the current public works grounds in the 600 block of High Street once that department relocates. City voters would have to approve the sales tax increase.

The community center was scheduled for 2019 with a 0.3 percent sales tax increase providing $2.5 million of its cost. The Baldwin City Recreation Commission is to request the Baldwin School district increase its mill levy to support the project. Both funding measures would require voter approval.

After casting the lone “no” vote against the CIP list, Councilman Tony Brown said his concern was the sales tax increase for the community center, which he considered too steep for residents.

• Approved the purchase of a used fire truck from the Fridley, Minn., Fire Department for $30,000. The 1995 truck with 27,000 miles can pump at 1,500-gallon-per-minute, has a 500 gallon tank and can hold five firefighters in the cab. It will replace the 1981 truck, which Baldwin City Fire Chief Allen Crain said is outdated and “just too small.”