Planning commission approves East Memorial Baptist Church preliminary plat at 1779 Fairview Ave.

The Prattville Planning Commission on Jan. 16 approved a preliminary plat to subdivide the East Memorial Baptist Church property at 1779 Fairview Avenue into four lots, granting waivers for sidewalks and curb-and-gutter requirements.

The approval was made after a public hearing and a staff presentation describing the site and requested waivers. City planner Scott Stevens said the parcel is in zone 4B2 and noted that site-plan review at a later development stage could require sidewalks if a future commercial development makes them reasonable and necessary.

Stevens said some drives behind nearby businesses are private and would remain private; he also explained that contour maps and building-footprint details are frequently waived for commercial preliminary plats and can be required at the site-plan stage if stormwater or grading concerns arise.

No members of the public spoke in opposition during the hearing. Commissioners voted in favor by a show of hands; the record shows the motion carried but individual vote tallies were not announced during the meeting.

The commission’s action was recorded as a resolution approving “East Memorial Baptist Church plat 1” and noted the public hearing was held Jan. 16, 2025. The approval allows the applicant to proceed to later design and site-plan steps required before final plat and construction.

Staff and the commission emphasized that waivers at the preliminary-plat stage do not prevent staff from requiring sidewalks or other infrastructure during site-plan review if future development makes those improvements necessary.