HOUGHTON — An amended rezoning request for a portion of Canal Road will head to a public hearing later this month.

The ordinance would rezone about 15.5 acres from R-1 (single-family residential) to B-2 (community business). The request was previously approved by the Planning Commission, but subsequently amended to remove a 13.5-acre parcel near the mouth of Coles Creek due to public concern about development near the wetlands area.

The rezoning would allow all uses allowed in B-1, along with restaurants, taverns or other places serving food or beverages; and hotels and motels.

The parcel is owned by JRG Development and the Jukuri family. JRG representative Kristine Weidner. She said the rezoning was sought because it had gone unsold as a residential area. She said JRG also wanted to make it consistent with the seaplane operation that that is seeking the same rezoning for a neighboring parcel.

“This is not about a proposed development, this is just about the rezoning that was unanimously passed once,” she said. “And at that time it was less restrictive now we’re asking for less land to be rezoned.”

Houghton resident Liz Gerson thanked JRG for removing the wetlands portion from its request, which she said helped the chances of natural restoration of the area, which includes a trout stream. However, the rezoning would still be inconsistent with the surrounding area, she said in a letter to the planning commission.

“Rezoning much of the shoreline from R-1 to B-2 allows a much higher occupancy and would fail to control the intensity of the land use,” she said.

The public hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 26.