SUMMERDALE, Ala. — After one final hurdle with the town of Summerdale, the Gulf Coast Cross Project is back on track.

During a special meeting Tuesday evening, the Summerdale Planning Commission approved a variance to the municipality’s ordinance concerning the height of a structure.

“For a B-2 zone, which is what this is, the maximum height is 45 feet or three stories,” Summerdale Town Clerk Tiffany Lynn said.

According to Project Founder/Chairman Jon S. Butler of Summerdale, the uplit cross will stand 23 stories high.

During its regular meeting in June, the Summerdale Town Council rezoned 4.1 acres of land for the project from AO-1 to B2. That will enable the land to host a welcome center and faith-based park, in addition to the cross.

Tuesday’s action by the town’s Planning Commission enable the structure to be built to its intended height.

“We’ve already got approval from the Federal Aviation Administration,” Butler told the Commission members. “We got a determination probably a month ago.”

He explained that the cross would be constructed with steel beams and plates. It would also be painted white with 10-year, specially designed paint.

“Like they use to paint bridges,” Butler said.

He added that the structure would be planted 60 feet deep to make it stable enough to support up to an F-5 storm wind.

“There’s bepen several of these crosses built,” Butler said. “The most recent is in Jasper and Gardendale. But this will be the tallest.”

The Summerdale Planning Commission’s action was completed with a 3-1 vote, with Robert Davis casting the lone dissent.

Butler said plans are underway to begin turning soil on the park in November. He added that fundraising continues, with donations coming in the day of the public hearing.