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Residents oppose rezoning of Anderson Road parcel; planning commission sends negative recommendation to city council
Summary
After extended public comment raising traffic, drainage and environmental concerns, the Opelika Planning Commission voted to send a negative recommendation to the City Council on a proposed rezoning of 20-acre property at 2502 Anderson Road from R-1 to R-3.
The Opelika Planning Commission on an unspecified March date voted to send a negative recommendation to the City Council on a request to rezone about 20 acres at 2502 Anderson Road from R-1 (low-density residential) to R-3 (medium-density residential).
The item drew an extended public hearing in which nearby residents and public safety officials said the area lacks infrastructure for higher density development. Commissioners voted to forward a negative recommendation to the council by voice vote after hearing public concerns.
Why it matters: The rezoning would allow substantially more homes on the parcel than the existing R-1 designation. Neighbors warned that a change to R-3 could multiply traffic, stress drainage systems and alter the scale of the surrounding rural-estate properties.
During public comment, multiple residents described existing problems they say would be worsened by denser development. An Anderson Road neighbor said the parcel is “very hilly” and contains “beautiful creeks” and urged the commission to “please leave it as R1.”
Linda Guy, who identified herself as a nearby landowner, told commissioners that 20 acres rezoned to R-3 could allow “up to 70 or 80 homes on that 20 acres,” and said the resulting traffic increase would be “overwhelming” for Anderson Road. Guy also cited compatibility language in the R-3 description and argued the proposal would not fit the existing neighborhood scale.
Forrest Provo, a resident and Opelika police officer, said he has “almost been hit numerous times” when entering North Park and expressed concern the road is “unsustainable with that kind of traffic.” Thomas Colson of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said traffic from nearby industrial development and a new church will further increase use of Anderson Road and could raise safety risks.
Staff member Matt Mosley summarized the technical context for the request, noting surrounding zones include R-1 to the immediate area, R-3 and manufacturing parcels across Anderson Road, and the applicant proposed the R-3 designation to match medium-density future land use shown on city maps. Mosley also identified sewer connectivity as a principal planning concern.
The formal motion: A commissioner moved and a second carried a motion to forward a negative recommendation to the City Council. The transcript records the motion maker and seconder only as commissioners; no roll-call of individual commissioner votes was recorded in the public minutes.
Next steps: The negative recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for a public hearing and final decision.
Ending: The commission then moved on to other agenda items, including a separate master-plan amendment and development plan for the Mill Village area that commissioners recommended positively to the council.
