SPANISH FORT, Ala.— After the City Council voted against rezoning property at 1595 Battleship Parkway at the Dec. 1 meeting, the property is now up for rezoning again, but for a different use. 

The Planning Commission held a public hearing to rezone property from R-1—single family low residential—to B-2—local business district—at the old Exxon service station on the causeway. 

Planners said the applicant intends to build a restaurant at this site and the entire property is up for rezoning.

Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of rezoning and will give a positive recommendation to the City Council.

“In my opinion that’s pretty much in line with … the type of business we would encourage on the causeway, as opposed to residential,” Bruce Renkert, city building official, said.

“I think we need to be very consistent,” Mayor Joe Bonner said of causeway development. “It is an acceptable area for B-2.”

The council Dec. 1 voted 3-2 against rezoning this property from R-1 to T-3, which is a telecommunications district.

With a council comprising six members, a majority vote of four is required to approve the rezoning.

The Planning Commission at its Aug. 11 meeting voted 5-4 against rezoning the property for the telecommunications tower, which gave a negative recommendation to the City Council.

Also Monday, the Planning Commission unanimously voted “yes” to approve the site plan for an office building at 7817 Spanish Fort Blvd. between Stanton and Walling Roads.

The office will be for James Roberts, the city’s judge and is already zoned B-2, which allows for this type of building.

The building will have four office spaces, according to Renkert.

“Our vision along the (U.S. Highway) 31 corridor, where permissible, is to try   creating a downtown area,” Bonner said of the area where the proposed office building will be.

In other news, Bonner re-appointed Maura Dismuke for another term on the Planning Commission.

The next Planning Commission meeting will be held  at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12 at The Gathering Place—at the intersection of U.S. Highways 98 and 31—in the Prodisee Center.