Commission begins update of RT-4 townhouse zoning after council moratorium

The Gardendale Planning & Zoning Commission on May 14 said it will undertake a more extensive update of the RT-4 Townhouse Residential zoning district after a preliminary review found the regulations have not been revised since 2013. Secretary Regina Graham called the meeting to order at Gardendale City Hall.

Alvin Currington told the commission that he, Bob Moore, Robbin Phillips and Jack Fields met the previous Thursday to take a first look at the RT-4 district. "When we started digging into it we determined that it had not been updated since 2013," Currington said, and the group concluded the work would take far more time than originally expected. Currington also said the City Council had imposed a moratorium on new townhouse development several weeks earlier, a restriction that further shapes the commission’s review.

The commission did not vote on any zoning text changes at the meeting. Commissioners present noted the update would require additional research and drafting before returning to the commission for further consideration. No timeline or staff assignment for the rewrite was specified during the meeting; the commission recorded that the effort would be ongoing.

The meeting was procedural in tone and limited to the commission’s initial assessment. The commission did not take formal action to lift or modify the council moratorium; any proposed ordinance or amendment would need to be drafted and scheduled for a future meeting.