LOXLEY — The Loxley Planning Commission held a special called meeting on April 12, after the regularly scheduled meeting of March 29 was canceled because there were not enough members at the meeting for a quorum.

Morgan Ashurst III and Tommy Cannon, two newly appointed members of the planning commission, participated in their first meetings. One of the new members will finish out Anthony Pittman’s term and the other brings the total number of members to nine.

Pittman told the council that felt he needed to step down because he and his wife plan to spend less time in the area since his retirement.

The planning commission took no action on a 90-day moratorium on planned unit developments, which was put into place to give the town council and members of the planning commission time to review the town’s PUD regulations to decide if any changes needed to be made.

Loxley Planning Commission Chairman Kenneth Folsom said after reviewing the regulations, no changes are needed. He said the council and commission decided to allow the moratorium to expire.

The commission discussed, but took no formal vote, on several items of business, including the possibility of setting public hearings for proposed residential developments during the 30-day period developers have to request their projects be put on the agenda for preliminary plat approval. Public hearings are required before final plats can be approved by the commission.

Diane Burnett, planning director for South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, who acts as a consultant for the town on planning matters, told the members of the commission that all “dialog” concerning residential developments should occur within that 30-day period.

“You are the only city in Mobile, Baldwin and Escambia Counties that I know of that doesn’t set the public hearing during that 30-day period,” she said.

At this time, developments are placed on the agenda for one month, at which time the public hearing is set for the following month. Burnett said the procedure now in place means the developers must wait a total of 60 days before their preliminary plats are approved.

The board also discussed moving the work session from the hour before the regular monthly meeting to another day, to allow more time to familiarize themselves with the plans and discuss issues.

Nelson Berry, who owns and is developing Loxley Station, asked for an extension to present a preliminary plat for the housing development on County Road 68. Berry told the board that although it would be the third extension, it is only the second time he has asked for an extension as owner of the property.

He said development costs “tripled” right after Hurricane Katrina and he was unable to proceed with the his plans for 52 houses on the 19 acres until recently. He said he is building “affordable “ houses, which he expects to sell for $125,000-$150,000.

The commission granted the request for another extension after Berry said he will soon have the preliminary plat ready to present to them.

Public hearings were set for Charmont on Baldwin 66 to amend the master plan to combine Phase I and Phase II and Halen Lake Estates off Baldwin 64. The public hearings were set for 6 p.m. April 26, which is the next regularly scheduled meeting of the planning commission.

A request by Benny and Madeline Darby to rezone their property to allow a concrete plant to operate on the property, which is also used as a racetrack, was moved to the next meeting agenda.

In other business, the planning commission:

— Approved the site plan approval for Valamour, a residential development on Baldwin County 64 west.

— Granted an amendment to the master plan for Loxley I-10 Business Park East and granted preliminary plat approval for Loxley I-10 Business Park and granted preliminary plat approval for Loxley I-10 Business Park East, Unit Three.

— Approved the site plan for Euromex, Loxley Warehouse No. 6.

— Approved the site plan for Consolidated Pipe

— Approved a revision to the master plan for Steelwood Planned Unit Development, which involved erasing a lot line. No public hearing is required to make changes to a PUD which has already been approved.

— Granted site plan approval for the new Citizens Bank building on Highway 59 just north of the present bank building.