The Mobile City Council heard a first reading of ordinance 64058 on Dec. 2, a proposed amendment to Appendix A (Downtown Development District) of the city's Unified Development Code.

A planning staff representative explained the draft is a reformatting into a new, graphics-rich template and that many edits are clarifications rather than substantive policy changes. The staff member said it would be difficult to provide a traditional red-line because the document uses a new template, but offered a reference document showing where specific edits (notably parking and screening requirements and some use definitions) differ from the previous draft. Staff also said the consolidated review committee (CRC) process would be moved into internal review to reduce external committee burdens while retaining code compliance review.

Council members asked for a document that identifies the errors corrected, lists all amendments made, and confirms who and when stakeholders were consulted. Staff said outreach began in October 2024 and that the Downtown Mobile Alliance and the Government Street Collaborative participated in stakeholder review; staff also said a public-comment portal remains open on the city's website.

What happens next: Staff will provide the requested comparison/reference documentation and details about stakeholder engagement ahead of further consideration. The ordinance was presented for first reading; no final adoption occurred at the pre-meeting.