Planning commission approves GPD rezoning for Cedar Forest but denies preliminary subdivision plat

The Tuscaloosa Planning and Zoning Commission on March 17 approved a rezoning request to establish a General Planned Development (GPD) for the 27.1-acre Cedar Forest site near Bowers Park, but rejected the associated preliminary subdivision plat for the same project.

Staff said the proposal, GPD 0425, would rezone property from single-family residential (SFR1) to GPD to allow a residential subdivision labeled in the materials as Cedar Forest. The rezoning would authorize a development layout the petitioner showed as 81 lots total (80 single-family lots and one open-space lot) and roughly 10 acres of dedicated open space. Staff enumerated proposed minimum building sizes and setbacks and noted the petitioner reduced the prior submission (which had included townhomes) to a primarily single-family scheme since January.

The rezoning passed on a 4-3 vote. Commissioners then considered the companion preliminary plat, PS 0725, which would formally establish 80 residential lots and the open-space parcel. That plat requires six affirmative votes for approval under the subdivision rules; the motion on PS 0725 failed to reach the six-vote threshold and the subdivision was not approved.

Why it matters: rezoning to a GPD changes the development standard applicable to the property and would have allowed the developer to cluster lots and set open-space commitments in a single planned district. Because the plat failed, no subdivision can be recorded under the proposed plan until the petitioner revises the plat or gains the necessary votes.

Discussion and concerns: Commissioners and neighborhood speakers focused on stormwater, existing creek conditions, lot size and perceived density. Planner Zach Ponds and petitioner Mike McGuire (McGuire and Associates) described the project as 27.1 acres with about 80 homes, minimum home sizes referenced in materials (a 1,300-square-foot minimum is listed in the narrative and McGuire stated he expects many homes to range 1,600–2,400 square feet with a projected starting price of about $285,000–$325,000). Staff calculated the overall proposal at about 2.95 dwelling units per acre and said the portion north of 30 First Street East would equate to roughly 4.64 dwelling units per acre if considered separately.

Nearby residents raised engineering concerns. Sheila Walton, who identifies herself as a Princeton Place resident, presented maps and video of what she said is the Blue Line creek (identified in the meeting as Creoles Mill Creek) that runs through the site and argued the developer’s preliminary design does not show realistic hydraulic conveyance to the proposed lake/detention pond. Gary Ward, also of Princeton Place, said the developer’s drainage submittals lacked supporting data and questioned a stated post-development runoff figure cited in the developer’s materials.

Petitioner response: McGuire said the submittal was a preliminary plat and that more detailed design — including a drainage report and possible replacement of existing crossing pipes — would be completed during land‑development permitting. McGuire said his team had completed a traffic study and that the site would be served by city water and sewer; he also said the developer had removed an internal trail to the park after neighborhood input and had reduced the project’s unit count compared with the initial filing.

Outcome and next steps: The rezoning to GPD was recommended by the commission (4–3) and will proceed to the City Council for final action; the preliminary plat was denied for lack of the six affirmative subdivision votes required by the city subdivision regulations. The petitioner may revise the plat, address the engineering concerns raised, and return to the commission. The commission’s discussion identified stormwater conveyance, the proposed vacation of a stub street in Cedar Knoll, and the project's density relative to surrounding lots as points the petitioner should clarify in subsequent submittals.

Quote: “The applicant has reduced units and provided open space, but the subdivision vote failed because it did not secure the six votes required for plat approval,” Planning Director Zach Ponds said during the meeting.

Ending: With the rezoning approved but the plat denied, the project remains in an uncertain position: the GPD zoning would allow the plan’s concept to move forward, but the developer cannot record lots or begin subdivision construction without an approved plat.