SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Public comments collected to date regarding the city’s proposed Comprehensive Plan will be discussed in detail at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 28 meeting before any decision is made regarding how to proceed.

“No action will be taken tonight,” Commission Chairman Carl Nelson told the small crowd gathered during Monday’s regular meeting.

Only two residents spoke during the resumed public hearing carried over from the January meeting. Nelson said the comments would be taken under advisement, and residents are welcome to attend the informal Feb. 28 work session at City Hall to discuss the matter further. All work sessions are open to the public, but the commission is prohibited from taking any action during the informal gatherings.

Nelson said the earliest the commission might take action regarding the 15-year blueprint intended to steer the city’s development would be the next regular meeting slated for March 14. City Attorney David Conner noted that if any “substantive” changes result from the ensuing work session, the document will need to be revised, and the public hearing process will begin again, delaying formal action.

Former City Engineer Ronald Gibson spoke at length regarding his concerns with the proposal.

Most notably, Gibson said the commission needs to carefully consider how the plan can be used to dictate controlled development of the Causeway as both an eco-tourism and entertainment draw for visitors and residents.

“The Causeway is a jewel for us. We fought hard to get it. Now’s the time to govern it,” he said, adding he’s pleased to see the commission “stepping into the planning role and not just approving site plans” with the series of recommendations for controlled growth the proposed Comprehensive Plan contains.

As written, the document falls short, however, of spelling out recommendations for developing the Causeway responsibly, addressing the widening of U.S. Highway 31 by the Alabama Department of Transportation and developing a comprehensive wastewater management system for the city, Gibson said.

Commissioner Tom Sawyer, who also represents District 4 on the City Council, said the city ultimately has no control over how ALDOT develops Highway 31 and could only request that attractive medians be included as opposed to “suicide lanes” Gibson heightens the risk for accidents.

Sawyer also said Gibson must remember although the city does, in fact, hold the rights to develop commercial lots along the Causeway, those parcels represent only about 20 percent of the structure’s area and the majority of that 20 percent is already developed. The state of Alabama actually controls about 80 percent of the land along the Causeway and dictates its preservation.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved a preliminary and final re-subdivision request for a portion of the first phase of the Savannah Woods development contingent on counsel being able to determine the purported property owner does own the land in question and that the original master plan allows for said owner’s plans.
• Approved businessman Darryl Bowers’ site plan request for construction of a new structure to house his electrician’s business at the northwest corner of the Jay Drive industrial park.
• Approved the land use, preliminary and final re-subdivision plat requests and proposed site plan for construction of a 35,000-square-foot family entertainment center at the Eastern Shore Centre. (Editor’s Note: For the complete story, see here.)
• Announced City Hall will be closed March 8 in observance of Fat Tuesday.

An informal work session is slated for 6 p.m. Feb. 28 in the conference room of City Hall.

 The next regular meeting the Planning Commission will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 14 at The Gathering Place following a 6 p.m. informal work session.

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