The Decatur Planning Commission on July 21 approved site plan 712-25, a 0.68-acre proposal to realign Central Parkway north of 22/221 Beltline Place Southwest. Tommy Williams of the City of Decatur planning department said the current zone is M-1 Light Industry, the landowner is the City of Decatur and the proposed land use is commercial; the item is tied to the city's 1 Decatur future land-use guidance.
Williams listed conditions to be met before construction: show the right of way for Beltline Place Southwest, provide drainage calculations and drainage area, eliminate driveways onto Central Parkway Avenue Southwest, and draw a line representing Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) setback requirements. He also noted utility relocation would be at the owner's expense and must occur before construction.
A planning engineer described a phased construction approach: leave the existing Central Parkway in place while building the new connection, then complete the segment that connects to Beltline Place. The engineer said traffic could be routed around the work during construction and drivers would use adjacent access points until the new connection opened.
Resident Mike Farucci, who identified himself as living in Decatur, asked whether the project had been coordinated with District 3 and raised concerns about sight lines and the lack of a known future building on the site. "We don't know what's going to be built there," Farucci said, adding that if a building is placed at the corner "you won't have clear line of sight." He suggested adding signage to slow trucks approaching the curve as a lower-cost alternative.
Commissioners discussed whether a yield sign or stop sign should be shown; staff said that can be adjusted in plan changes. The commission approved the site plan after a motion by Commissioner Forrest Temple and a second by Commissioner Ross Terry. The recorded roll call in the transcript shows affirmative votes by Tate, Wade, Terry and Temple; the transcript also records a "Florence" vote that appears to be a roll-call entry.
Next steps: the applicant must meet the listed planning conditions, provide drainage calculations, show required right-of-way and comply with ALDOT setback requirements before construction proceeds.