Planning commission denies Cookout sidewalk waiver at Schillinger Road, cites walkability goals
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The City of Mobile Planning Commission voted Dec. 18 to deny Cookout’s request to waive sidewalk construction at 775 Schillinger Road South, with commissioners citing corridor walkability goals and future capital-improvement priorities as reasons for denial.
The Planning Commission denied a sidewalk-waiver request from Cookout for a redevelopment at 775 Schillinger Road South on Dec. 18.
Michael Hicks, representing Cookout, asked the commission to waive sidewalk construction because the site’s frontage contains storm-drain structures, a topographic bowl, traffic-signal poles and other utilities that complicate constructing a contiguous sidewalk connection. Hicks said entrances to the restaurant are on the opposite side of the lot (toward the Home Depot side) and that adding a new sidewalk could raise safety concerns by creating new pedestrian crossings through drive-through lanes.
Commissioners weighed those practical constraints against the city’s sidewalk policy and broader walkability goals. One commissioner (who said the corridor was recently annexed and is a priority for future capital-improvement dollars) said the commission should not waive the requirement because Schillinger is a commercial corridor where sidewalks advance safe walking connections. The commission moved and seconded a motion to deny the waiver; the motion carried by voice vote.
What this means: Cookout will need to design its redevelopment to meet sidewalk requirements or seek an alternate waiver in the future; staff noted the 2011 policy encourages sidewalks and subdivision regulations (section 7.c.4) require sidewalks along street frontages within subdivisions unless a waiver is approved.
Quoted in hearing: "I applied for it in unison with our site plan review... there’s no contiguous sidewalks that are at the property," (Michael Hicks, representing Cookout).