Commission approves rezoning for 25.89-acre site near Inez and Blackman roads

The Dothan City Commission voted to approve Ordinance 2025-63 to rezone roughly 25.89 acres northeast of the Inez Road and Blackman Road intersection from R-1 (low-density residential) to R-3 (higher-density residential). The commission approved immediate consideration and then the rezoning after a public hearing and brief discussion.

The change will allow the developer to use narrower side-yard setbacks and slightly smaller lots so the proposed subdivision can proceed with about 53 lots. Cade Brunson, a representative of Boyd Engineering, told the commission the applicant intends lots of roughly 10,000–12,000 square feet and that the rezoning request is driven primarily by side-yard-setback requirements rather than a move to much smaller, 4,000-square-foot lots.

Why it matters: Neighbors voiced concern the rezoning would increase traffic behind the Walmart on the south side of the intersection and that the change represents a shift from low-density to higher-density residential use. Fred Meadows, a Southgate Acres resident at 514 West Mount Edge Road, urged the commission to retain the current zoning, saying the proposed 53 units would create “quite a bit of traffic.”

During commission discussion, a commissioner asked how many houses the plan would include under the proposed lot sizes; Brunson confirmed the plan anticipates 53 lots on roughly quarter-acre parcels. After closing the public hearing, the commission approved the ordinance by voice vote; the mayor declared “Yays have it.”

The rezoning ordinance will permit the developer to proceed with subdivision engineering and platting under R-3 rules and the applicant’s stated lot-sizing plan. No amendment or conditions were recorded in the public transcript of the meeting.