[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6359579,"mediaKeyId","2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539","parentId",2176256,"title","Planning commission elects officers; developer withdrawals remove two agenda items","audioSeconds",510,"startMs",19000,"endMs",529000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539&start=19&end=529","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539/thumbnail_19000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359579/Opelika/Lee-County/Alabama/Planning-commission-elects-officers-developer-withdrawals-remove-two-agenda-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359579-0705aebda0624cb16a57fc6686111df8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185243&Signature=DSmmfNZz~Dz7Ops4pBaiyFQkRxrJGw2YLmknHLBZ6H5tB~27rxCjLwhNngnPW8l2rBLC0W9RTPO-LlkuwNwhpX7G0tda9NwMoXFJiLJdcARq0WUwF38pKQ841zhxJ77n3KgyF0qU6bKGiQ0YNLEg2Br1OUM7k~xPzm4vLS8Mrnr6rjGNKeXIM~E5JAX7u~JlFdlkVyhP5bewtfRkq2mVP2XW1A3VEP1Ht-hZ~s6iTYQQ8BIDJfuqk9t44GTf6e8EJ8-qOhZq8NsbXMzPr9lUMyCY0uHmMuDWMmOFPtPzE4mAvweUOGxGxunqwdTcnZz-k~raB076ocmsOJTflYG~1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Opelika City, AL","date","2025-01-29T20:43:39Z","article","The Opelika Planning Commission opened its regular session and elected Lucinda Cannon as chair and John Swetman as vice chair; the nominations were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. The commission also approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

Planning staff (Mister Mosley) updated commissioners on a December Norwood rezone matter, saying the applicant had withdrawn a revision and that the original Norwood approval from several years ago remains the standing approval.

Staff also notified the commission that two items listed on the agenda had been withdrawn by applicants before consideration: a proposed 33-lot Veterans Parkway subdivision and a Sanford Development Group application for 56 townhomes on Cunningham Drive. Staff said the applicants were reassessing their proposals and that the withdrawn items required no action by the commission at this meeting.

No formal public hearing or testimony was recorded for the withdrawn items, and no votes were cast on those proposals. The commission’s organizational actions (election of officers and approval of minutes) were recorded as carried by voice vote; the record includes a note that there was no increase in salary associated with officer positions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission Meeting January 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the start of the session the commission elected Lucinda Cannon as chair and John Swetman as vice chair, approved minutes, and staff announced two development applications — a Veterans Parkway subdivision (33 lots) and a Sanford Development Group townhouse project (56 townhomes on Cunningham Drive) — had been withdrawn by applicants.","taxTitle","Opelika, Lee County, Alabama","taxId",54221,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359580,"Planning commission backs rezoning and future land-use change for Scidel Road property",254,919000,1173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539&start=919&end=1173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539/thumbnail_919000.jpg","/articles/6359580/Opelika/Lee-County/Alabama/Planning-commission-backs-rezoning-and-future-land-use-change-for-Scidel-Road-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359580-edd526f6bd3571149764764a57cef6a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185243&Signature=bThrekkoOTUUH4w5y3ONZ5h~NY6l7OA5t8JzXsW2l4dC1ay6sszoUElC9YC9SjCDaeG7f4dr06ConB1Q2briaEpZ1~djOGblsLr7cGCZVitcr1y5uzKxtin5ZANeHR0OA27xn30rpj2WHYwzxAbfaBUjDJojLiTq1B~BP2yetJzPjuAzgW0xZZWH5LV0izzK02sJD5yMfbEftc-EDMHXdXLh5qzObjU~kgujAbA~cTufGDi3g5f4MrqTS8bruOIHzcx2xl64fYpVioniy5cTBnxlOnN5weG15jLWCC2kP6aCZocLTo7H7JOINQlho5kMSJu0dAXYeUQroecnzEFdLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Opelika Planning Commission voted Wednesday to recommend that the City Council rezone a property on Scidel Road from R-1 (single-family residential) to C-2 (light commercial) and to change the city’s future land-use map to light commercial.

Planning staff told commissioners the Scidel Road corridor has been transitioning toward higher-density residential and commercial uses, including approved townhouses and nearby industrial and planned development areas. Staff concluded that rezoning the parcel to C-2 and changing the future land-use designation to light commercial would be consistent with surrounding zoning and the corridor’s emerging pattern.

\"We do recommend a positive approval to the City Council for rezoning to C-2, and if you do so, we recommend that you also change the future land use to represent that, showing it as light commercial,\" planning staff said during the presentation.

Engineering staff raised no service concerns regarding water or power availability for the site. The item required two motions: one to forward a positive recommendation for rezoning to the City Council and a second to support the future land-use map amendment. Commissioners approved both motions; the record shows affirmative votes on both recommendations.

The commission’s action is a recommendation only; final rezoning and future land-use changes require City Council consideration and any required public-notice procedures by the council. Staff noted the change would align the parcel with adjacent commercial and townhouse developments and stated the recommendation was consistent with the broader pattern of conversion along that corridor.

No formal project plan or applicant-specific development agreement was approved at the commission meeting; the action was limited to the commission’s recommendation on zoning and the future land-use map.","The commission voted to recommend rezoning a property on Scidel Road from R-1 (single-family) to C-2 (light commercial) and to amend the future land-use map to light commercial, citing transition of the corridor and compatibility with surrounding development.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359585,"Planning commission approves garage apartment on South Eighth Street",370,550000,920000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539&start=550&end=920","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539/thumbnail_550000.jpg","/articles/6359585/Opelika/Lee-County/Alabama/Planning-commission-approves-garage-apartment-on-South-Eighth-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359585-acfd8f9b58dbc155a890e4ec9a36d937/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185243&Signature=Jzj83jRWB~r55p~lYm9rfMhPe6ftIed6iEW0XvmXBHWK3HwAWyei0GQZHEtKA8OJaNTP-1vFQat7AcRj0WbgPNXXtueX8pkZr48aVmV5wvjcYIFB1yZq3XE-z2-B8gj2cIAKoNnN5x42uYkJWutvod6vk-3Yxa633Ac1jqoyuJBjRU3tFN6wi6H6m8wv7GHcFov99-LFrnsZ5XLibrTNMK2iQBmJTasoGWgRXvYYiXO~00c4k0eh4tKn2HqPWrYvhS3kJzK8wZxTHmKon957EnkNiwJLYe8OsRqmU-Ivfu2UNG03cJmbmWtqsyi1DhWdBwNY34BgJ2t2RRHSYtrS3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Opelika Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a conditional-use request to add an accessory dwelling unit above a garage at a property on South Eighth Street, near the intersection with Avenue.

Planning staff described the proposal as a garage apartment (an accessory/ancillary dwelling unit) above a carriage-style garage on an approximately 10,000-square-foot lot in a C-2 zoning district. Staff said the principal house has already received concept approval from the Historic Preservation Commission and that the accessory unit’s scale and materials would be reviewed by that commission to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.

\"Ancillary dwelling units are what most people call a mother-in-law suite or garage apartment,\" planning staff explained during the presentation, and the agency recommended conditional-use approval subject to Historic Preservation Commission review and any required plan adjustments.

The commission opened a public hearing; no members of the public spoke for or against the application. After brief technical comments from engineering staff that there were no concerns regarding water and power service connections, a commissioner moved to approve the conditional use; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

The approval permits construction of a one-bedroom accessory apartment over the existing garage, with the number of guest or tenant rooms and building details to be finalized through Historic Preservation Commission review and building-permit processes. The approval notes that parking for guest rooms must be provided on site and that on-street parking cannot be counted as primary parking for the accessory use.

The applicant’s representative was identified in the staff presentation as Brandon Hayes. The commission’s action was procedural — approval of the conditional-use request — and does not eliminate the need for building permits, Historic Preservation Commission sign-off on design details, or compliance with building and fire codes prior to occupancy.","The commission approved a conditional use to allow an accessory detached garage apartment (accessory dwelling unit) above a garage at a South Eighth Street property after staff found the proposal compatible with neighborhood character and subject to Historic Preservation Commission review.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359590,"Opelika planning commission tables bed-and-breakfast zoning changes after large public opposition",2141,1175000,3316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539&start=1175&end=3316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176256-33c9dbbe02648362402342d1b39d7539/thumbnail_1175000.jpg","/articles/6359590/Opelika/Lee-County/Alabama/Opelika-planning-commission-tables-bed-and-breakfast-zoning-changes-after-large-public-opposition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359590-30cde7622b67ad6ae24cfe5287d2f77b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185243&Signature=jtOMcdbSKUo92DzHDvhDHiFBAnC~qD7SPKtoW8MBv9e22HGTkfk6rIcp8MHbZofKCr8M8r7kvGbDmUYwRryV27B~saO6xddBsyzQPmF~FliiL8q5O~7Xl5dUGMi0o0aLN99dHpO7hVudJjdx~zt5DDiJvORJg56GC5RBKLB8iI6OBNQ4gMAJ8lT7Gz1LgiOpPzbWcLUq240IUBzavizhwjace5VITMLZ4f6x91w3TTCAjTWws-dLtkUhjbiFwXuFWbxtf0B2VgCQMCcaGkimwVC-NOusfT9mQuPh8A180cTY~jInD1MMMkXuYVIZOSV7FY0f70-oPJyTpPMwQWahUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Opelika Planning Commission on Wednesday voted to table a proposed zoning text amendment that would change how bed-and-breakfasts are defined and regulated in the city, including adding rules that could permit outdoor events at older houses.

Commissioners said the item needs more work after more than a dozen residents urged changes or opposed the proposal at public hearing. The vote to table was taken after residents argued the draft would amount to spot zoning and remove crucial protections such as an owner-occupancy requirement.

The commission’s proposal would revise definitions and procedures for bed-and-breakfast operations, move bed-and-breakfasts in some sections of the code into the list of uses that can host celebrations or events, and add a new section (8.28.4 in the draft) covering operational rules. Among changes described in staff materials were: permitting bed-and-breakfasts on properties at least 1 acre; limiting outdoor events to no more than 10 per year and to a maximum of 200 people unless further limited by parking or safety codes; requiring properties used for such events to be on an arterial or collector street; a proposed age threshold of 75 years or older for buildings seeking the B&B classification; and retaining a registration requirement for operators.

Residents at the hearing said the draft would allow commercial-scale events in residential neighborhoods. \"This is effectively called spot zoning,\" said Barry Whiteley, a resident of 400 North Ninth Street. Whiteley told the commission that, based on the draft’s limits (1 acre, 75 years old, arterial frontage), only two houses in Opelika would qualify. \"This is not community-wide,\" he said, adding that the neighborhood had prepared model ordinances from other cities for comparison.

Jason Lance, a resident at 410 North Ninth Street, said his review of ordinances from several cities showed common elements not present in the draft: preservation of residential character, owner-occupied operation requirements and strict limits or prohibitions on events. \"Where events are mentioned, they are either explicitly prohibited by the ordinance or greatly restricted in scope,\" Lance said.

Other neighbors said the draft’s event allowances — up to 200 people and up to 10 outdoor events annually — represented a major change that could permit amplified sound and late-night gatherings next to houses. \"I just wonder if any of y'all could imagine having an event with 200 people in a single house in a residential area in Opelika,\" said Charlie Brewer, a resident of North 10th Street.

Commission staff described the changes as an attempt to add clarity and operational rules while protecting neighborhood character, including limiting indoor occupancy to building-code limits and requiring on-site parking for guests. Staff also noted prior history: a substantially different draft had earlier received a negative recommendation and was withdrawn by staff after going to city council without action.

After public comment, commissioners debated whether to send a negative recommendation to the city council or to pause and rework the language with additional input. A motion to table the item prevailed; the commission also directed formation of an ad-hoc committee to review language acceptable both to the neighborhood and to planning staff and to return the matter to a future agenda. No final zoning changes or recommendations to city council were adopted at the meeting.

The commission’s tabling means the matter will return to a future meeting for further consideration; commissioners said local advertising rules and city-council procedures could affect timing of any subsequent public hearings.

Residents repeatedly urged retention of an owner-occupancy requirement, citing state public-health and administrative-code distinctions that limit health department oversight for owner-occupied B&Bs. \"In the State of Alabama administrative code, a bed and breakfast is defined as a private owner-occupied residence providing accommodations for a charge to the public with no more than 10 rooms for rent,\" said Robin White of Shelby Avenue. White argued that removing owner-occupancy would remove the practical inspection and oversight pathway for food and safety that currently exists.

The commission did not set a date to return the amendment; staff and commissioners indicated they would form the ad-hoc group and bring revised language back to a future agenda.

Action on the bed-and-breakfast text amendment was limited to procedural tabling; no affirmative zoning change or recommendation to city council was made at this meeting.","The Opelika Planning Commission voted to table proposed zoning-text changes that would expand bed-and-breakfast uses and allow event activity in residential areas after a lengthy public hearing in which neighborhood residents urged stronger limits, including retention of an owner-occupancy requirement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning commission elects officers; developer withdrawals remove two agenda items

Planning commission backs rezoning and future land-use change for Scidel Road property

Planning commission approves garage apartment on South Eighth Street

Opelika planning commission tables bed-and-breakfast zoning changes after large public opposition