The City of Prattville Planning Commission on Dec. 19 approved a preliminary plat for the Durden-Gattis Pit property at Gattis Pit Road and Durden Road, subject to a condition requiring an approved turnaround for service vehicles.

The commission voted to approve the preliminary plat for owner William Turner and granted a waiver of subdivision regulation 4.3 (additional infrastructure improvements including sidewalks and curb and gutter). Commissioners then adopted an amendment requiring the developer to provide an “approved turnaround” at the end of the road, with the material and design to be approved by planning, engineering and the fire department.

The panel heard from a resident, Annie Smith, who asked whether the project would close or change the unpaved access road that serves adjacent properties. Smith said the route "comes through his property and through somebody else's property also," and asked, "Are they going to close it? What they going to do?" A planning staff member responded, "From based on this plan, they don't have any intention to close or block or change the road any. They're just making a second lot."

During discussion commissioners and staff flagged access and maintenance concerns. One commissioner said the development would effectively extend the road into a long cul-de-sac and recommended a turnaround so first responders and sanitation vehicles can service the back lot. Staff reported the right-of-way shown in tax records appears to be about 50 feet; another staff speaker said the roadway surface appears to be roughly 16 to 18 feet wide. A separate speaker estimated the distance from Durden Road to the road end at "probably about 460, 500 foot" and noted different code sections apply for cul-de-sac lengths and fire-code turnarounds.

A commissioner moved to amend the approval to require an approved turnaround with an all-weather surface similar to the existing material and subject to planning, engineering and fire approval; that amendment passed by voice/hand vote. The commission then voted on the main motion with the amendment; the motion carried.

The approval document filed with the record lists Alabama Land Surveyors Inc. as the surveyor for the preliminary plat and records the waiver requested for sidewalks and curb-and-gutter. The commission’s action was limited to approval of the preliminary plat with the stated waiver and the added turnaround condition; no final plat was considered.

Planning staff indicated the engineer and fire-code requirements will guide the turnaround design before final plat submittal.