In a unanimous decision, the board voted Tuesday to recommend approval of Danny Allen’s request to rezone nearly an acre of land on Thompson Bridge Road in order to be able to "market" the property for residential or office uses.

Allen’s property at 1770 and 1786 Thompson Bridge Road is currently zoned for single-family residential use in a Residential-1 zoning. He has asked the city to change that zoning to allow for residential and office uses (R-O zoning) for at least two reasons that he stated at Tuesday’s meeting.

"Commercial’s just worth a lot more than residential, and I can rent one office space ... for more money I can the house, and have to maintain it," Allen said.

Allen also said since the property is located on Thompson Bridge Road, it does not really lend itself to a family friendly environment.

"(With) children and all in that area, with the high traffic count, you know, I think it’d be harder to get families to stay, you know, in that area," Allen said.

After the board asked Allen if he had any problems with the conditions that the city’s planning staff recommended for approval of the request — specifically if Allen had any problems with not being able to access the property with a driveway from Walker Street — and he said there was no problem, the board voted unanimously to recommend that the Gainesville City Council approve the request.

The attendance at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the board was a stark contrast to last month’s meeting, when about 75 people came to speak against building a RaceTrac gas station near the upscale Seasons on Lanier community. Ten people, including Gainesville Mayor Myrtle Figueras and Councilman Danny Dunagan, came to Tuesday’s meeting, but none of them, except Allen, spoke for or against the request.

The Gainesville City Council will make the final decision on Allen’s rezoning request and the request concerning Seasons on Lanier at its May 6 meeting.