The Gadsden City Council voted to adopt an ordinance repealing city code chapter 130 and replacing it with new comprehensive zoning regulations aligned with the Groganston master plan. The measure, presented as unfinished business following a Dec. 16 public hearing, carried on a voice vote.

Council members and staff described the rewrite as the result of an approximately two‑year effort that involved a volunteer planning and zoning committee and department staff. ‘‘Our own Tracy Cordell heads up our planning zoning office and was heavily involved,’’ the chair said, crediting the planning department and engineering staff for completing the overhaul.

Supporters told the council the update is intended to modernize rules that had not been substantially revised in decades and to align land‑use rules with the community vision in the master plan. One council speaker emphasized that the ordinance does not remove the city’s existing variance or rezoning procedures, saying residents can still request variances or rezonings for specific properties.

The ordinance had completed a first reading and a public hearing on Dec. 16 before the council moved to adopt it. Council discussion focused on process and community engagement rather than on specific regulatory text; no amendments were recorded during this meeting.

Adoption of the ordinance sets in motion the city's updated land‑use framework. Staff and the planning department will be responsible for implementation, including processing any rezoning or variance requests under the new code. The council did not set an additional effective date during the meeting; the ordinance was adopted by voice vote and recorded as carried.