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Planning director outlines downtown zoning changes and urges CRA workshop on redevelopment
Summary
Gregory Gay, Opelika’s planning and community development director, told the CRA board the city has amended its historic downtown zoning to allow building heights up to 10 stories (105 feet) and urged a CRA workshop to set redevelopment priorities for recently acquired downtown parcels.
Gregory Gay, director of planning and community development for the City of Opelika, briefed the CRA board on downtown development opportunities and recent planning work, including a new comprehensive plan and a historic Downtown Opelika District zoning overlay.
Gay said the city recently amended the historic Downtown Opelika District to raise the maximum height from seven stories to 10 stories (105 feet) to encourage mixed‑use, higher‑density projects and structured parking within a smaller land footprint. Gay said the change is intended to make 75–150-unit developments feasible on parcels of roughly 0.5 to 1 acre and noted that a larger state parcel in or near downtown totals roughly 3.5–4 acres, which could enable larger mixed‑use destination development.
CRA members and Gay discussed properties the agency recently acquired or is under contract to purchase, including 391 Opelika Boulevard and 879 Fisherman Street (closed), and an in‑contract property at 240 Bauman (New Fellowship Church), which had a closing delayed because of an open permit. Director Tierney said the CRA hopes to add the state/city parcel (reported at about 3.5–4 acres) to its portfolio pending research into its history and any encumbrances.
Gay said the downtown overlay boundaries run from 27th Avenue/Scheherazade to the railroad tracks and westward to include historic City Hall, the barracks, and adjacent residential and commercial wings; he said the historic downtown district lies within the CRA area. Board members asked for maps and documentation, and Gay agreed to provide links and graphics for board review.
Board members stressed that development must consider who will live in and support new retail and commercial uses; Board member Kelly repeatedly urged attention to resident purchasing power and long-term neighborhood impacts. Gay and several board members cited examples of nearby municipalities (Miami Lakes, Miramar, North Miami) as models for mixed‑use, residential‑led town centers.
Tierney told the board the CRA’s ability to pursue long-range redevelopment is time‑sensitive: the CRA is scheduled to sunset in 2030 and staff is preparing an extension request to the county (the board discussed seeking an extension to 2047). Gay said showing active redevelopment plans and site control of parcels would strengthen the CRA’s extension case to the county.
The board agreed to hold a workshop to align CRA strategy and to discuss whether to pursue rapid redevelopment (requesting RFPs for developers) or pursue temporary uses until a longer plan is finalized. Members discussed a proposed June 26 workshop date (board to confirm availability) and asked staff to circulate background materials, the comprehensive-plan excerpts and maps, and recommended workshop protocol in advance. Gay offered to forward planning documents and to link materials on the city website.
Notes: No formal board action was required on zoning (the land‑use amendment had been adopted previously by the city); the item was a planning briefing and direction to staff to prepare for a CRA workshop on long-term downtown strategy and extension documentation.
