The Maple Valley City Council has decide to look at a zoning change in the business park central zoning area or northwest quadrant near Four Corners.

The members heard testimony at a public hearing Monday concerning changes to the restrictions outlined in the interim development regulations.

Roger White represents a developer interested in building a medical building on the property located along 264th Street East across from Motorplex.

According to White, the business could bring 150 jobs to the area and provide medical services not currently available in Maple Valley.

White said the current restrictions “makes it virtually impossible” for a medical-dental clinic to locate on the site. Current zoning would not allow the business to expand.

“If they can never expand in the future,” White said. “It makes it very difficult to manage a property if they can never grow. These kind of restrictions make it impossible to develop. There are real benefits to high-paying jobs.”

Following other testimony, the council deliberated about how to change the interim-zoning regulations to allow the property to be developed for a medical building.

The planning commission and staff are working on a broader ordinance that would establish land use and zoning for the area, but the final action on the plan is a year or more in the future.

Community Development Director Ty Peterson said the city has “retained a consultant to work on the subarea plan.”

After direction from interim city manager Christy Todd and considerable discussion, the members agreed to direct staff to return an ordinance to the council allowing the medical building to be built on the property.

After hearing public testimony, the members agreed on two basic findings of fact. First, the council supports living wage jobs for the business park area, second, the members would like to remove restrictions for the medical facility.

Councilman Noel Gerken asked Todd if the change would allow other uses by default.

The interim city manager said the ordinance would be written to permit only a medical-dental building.