Rice Toyota expansion gets thumbs-down from zoning board
City zoning officials panned a rezoning request from dealership Rice Toyota during a Monday meeting after strong protests from area residents.
The Greensboro Zoning Commission voted 9-0 to slap an unfavorable recommendation on Rice's proposal to rezone about 2 acres along Stratford Drive just behind the dealership's Battleground Avenue used-car and Scion sales business.
The dealership, which has been on Battleground for more than 40 years and bookends the major road, could be faced with a move if it cannot expand in the current space. Rice wants to put 185 employee parking spaces in the back of deep lots along Stratford Drive to make way for an expansion of its new-car space and various dealership buildings on the east and west sides of Battleground.
The City Council will hear the rezoning request, and consider zoning officials' unfavorable recommendation, on March 6.