DAPHNE, Ala.— A site plan was unanimously approved Thursday for the development of a new 45,000-square-foot Publix supermarket at the Magnolia Place Shopping Center near Thomas Medical Center on U.S. Highway 98.

Construction on the 9-acre site will include renovations to the parking lot and water drainage systems.

“Right now, there is no water runoff system in place,” a project spokesman said. “We’ll reconstruct the drainage and build an oil, water and debris separator to improve water quality currently flowing into the bay.”

Plans also include building 19 islands of landscaping in the parking lot, to beautify the area.

A traffic study has been performed focusing on the north Main Street entrance into the shopping center.

The study recommends extending the right-turn lane 150 feet on north Main Street so cars trying to enter the shopping center will not hold up traffic flow.

The newly extended lane will be built alongside the current Kentucky Fried Chicken property and will  allow drivers heading to U.S. Highway 98 to continue in that direction.

This will be the second Publix supermarket to be built in the Daphne-Fairhope area.

A Publix supermarket has been under development on U.S. Highway 98 for some time now. The site is just beyond Daphne city limits in Fairhope, in between the Rock Creek and Woodlands neighborhoods.

In other business:

Construction of the .85-acre site will include landscaping of the area and water retention development.

The site will house Big Daddy Eastern Shore Car Lot.

The planning commission will send their favorable recommendation to the City Council for a final vote in its next business meeting.