Prattville planning commission refuses to recommend rezoning for 682 Covered Bridge Parkway

The Prattville Planning Commission on Sept. 18 voted to not recommend rezoning 0.56 acre at 682 Covered Bridge Parkway from R5 (Patio Home Residential District) to B2 (General Business District), following a public hearing in which neighbors urged the commission to keep the property residential and commissioners said the applicant had not submitted site plans showing parking and building layout.

The decision came after public comments from multiple nearby residents and a presentation by the petitioner. “This public hearing attempt to my knowledge is to change that one lot from R5 to a B2. To do this, to me, would open up Pandora's box,” said Roger Tinsley, a Covered Bridge Parkway resident. Petitioner Chad J. Peacock said he had purchased the lot as residential but that the covenants for that lot fall under the commercial side of the original plat. The proposed end user identified at the hearing was Evolve Studio for the Arts, which said it would like to relocate from rented space to a permanent facility in Prattville.

Why it matters: B2 zoning allows a wide range of general business uses, while O1 (office) zoning restricts uses and intensity, affecting traffic, parking and neighborhood character. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized parking and site feasibility as key unresolved issues and recommended the applicant consider O1 or submit detailed site plans before pursuing a rezoning to B2.

Most important facts: Planning staff told the commission that the application requested rezoning from R5 to B2 for approximately 0.56 acre at 682 Covered Bridge Parkway, and that Lot 30 had originally been platted for commercial use. The petitioner and his realtor said the lot has been assessed and charged HOA commercial dues in some instances and that nearby lots (including Lot 29 and parcels where Partners Pediatrics sits) are commercial or office. Several residents from Sadie Circle and Covered Bridge said they bought homes expecting a residential neighborhood and opposed opening the lot to “general business.”

During the hearing, staff explained zoning differences: “O1 zoning is ... lesser as far as the intensity would go, and the permitted uses in O1 ... O1 is definitely more for low intensity institutional and studio type uses. So that use would fit in that district,” planning staff said. Staff and several commissioners said O1 would limit future uses compared with B2. The planning staff also read setback information for O1 as reported at the hearing: a 25-foot front setback, no side setbacks and a 20-foot rear setback (as stated on the record).

Applicants and supporters said a dance studio operator, Kennedy (Kenny) Thomas of Evolve Studio for the Arts, wants to remain in Prattville and build a purpose-designed facility. “We would like to see the dance studio stay in Prattville… build a building and be a permanent fixture here in the city,” said Theo Gooden, the buying agent. Supporters described proposed plans as a “state-of-the-art facility” and said parents prioritize safety and orderly pickup. The applicant said she was working with…