Alexander City Council approves three rezoning ordinances, awards contracts and rescinds emergency declaration

Alexander City Council on March 17 approved three ordinances to rezone a total of roughly 197.3 acres across three properties and voted unanimously on a set of routine resolutions, including a contract award for light-department materials, a termite-treatment contract for the Adelia M. Russell Library and a rescission of an earlier emergency declaration.

The rezoning ordinances — sponsored by Councilor Chris Brown — would: rezone about 128.2806 acres at River Oaks Drive from Location Residential R-1 to Lakefront Residential SD-1; rezone about 16.44 acres on Ellis Parkway from Reserved Residential RR and Planned Development PD to Reserved Residential RR; and rezone about 60 acres along Highway 63 South from light industrial/B-3 to High Density Residential R-3. The council opened a public hearing, recorded no public speakers and noted that all three parcels fall within the city’s comprehensive plan. Councilor Chris Brown told colleagues there is a “very preliminary design” for the River Oaks road but no final plan yet; Amanda in the planning office clarified that an earlier zoning map change for one parcel had not been reflected online.

The council moved the three ordinances to the consent agenda and then approved them together. The roll-call votes recorded Councilor Phillips, Councilor Bobby Tapley, Councilor Hardy, Councilor Eric Brown and the chair as voting yes on…