Opelika planning board approves 15-unit mixed-use site plan and development agreement for Alibaba Avenue parcel

At a meeting of the City of Opelika Planning and Zoning Board, members voted to approve a site plan and a related development agreement for Raffay Investments’ proposed three‑story, 15‑unit mixed‑use project on Alibaba Avenue.

Developer Jorge Dela Fe told the board the project would include three live‑work units on the ground floor and 12 residential units “for low income senior citizens.” He described multiple accessibility features for seniors, saying the units would have roll‑in showers and bench seating, lower microwave heights, lever‑style door handles and automatic bedroom lights. “There’s gonna be cameras everywhere,” Dela Fe said. “The more eyes are looking at the hallways and the stairs and the elevator and the parking lot the best.”

Gerald Lee, planner with the City of Opelika planning and community development department, told the board the site is roughly 13,125 square feet, zoned BO (business office) and inside the Magnolia North mixed‑use overlay. Lee said the submitted site plan provides 20 parking spaces and complies with zoning; because the total parking is fewer than 50 spaces, the code requires one accessible space and the applicant’s plan meets that standard. Lee said the applicant has also filed for a unity of title so the two parcels could not be sold separately.

Board members asked about long‑term maintenance, security, landscaping and the number of accessible parking spaces. Dela Fe replied the project will be rental, that routine maintenance and landscaping would be handled by the developer’s contractor and that the site would be fenced with controlled access. He described landscape and stormwater measures intended to reduce puddling. Lee noted that the site plan includes a landscaping plan but that tree preservation detail could be more explicit on the drawing.

A motion to approve the site plan passed on roll call; recorded votes in support included Board members Hibbert Smith, Dominguez, Megan, Williams and Mata, with Chair Barnes voting yes. The board also approved the development agreement for the project; the developer told the board he would make good‑faith efforts to work with local hiring organizations and to hire locally where feasible. On the record, Dela Fe said he would “talk to them to see if they have people” and that his usual contractor employs local workers.

Staff said the development agreement includes timelines for permit submission, construction start and completion and allows the city manager to grant extensions under specified conditions. Lee recommended approval, saying the project is compatible with surrounding BO zoning and the Magnolia North overlay and would introduce residential and small business uses consistent with the district.

The approvals will move forward to any subsequent administrative steps required by the city’s permitting process.