Greeno Rd. Committee Considers Extending "Village Center" Zoning

Fairhope, Alabama                                                                          

OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICT PROPOSED

During a contentious meeting with several N. Greeno road property owners, the North Greeno Study Committee decided  a community village center overlay zoning plan may be the best approach for the stretch of road roughly from Edwards Ave north to HWY 104.

Most of the property there is now zoned residential, R-1: village center zoning allows a mixture of various levels of residential and commercial.

Property owner/developer William Lewis (Seaborn Capitial LLC) : " ... in terms of the market ... you are going to have to set up a framework ... so that someone can build in it ... my property would be a good CVC ... you could include the whole section ... make the whole strip a CVC ... ." (Lewis owns the now-vacant 35 acre tract at the SW corner of Volanta Ave.)

Property owner Fred Hayek: "I think Dick (Lewis)  just laid out a framework ... make it (all) a village center ... ."

Planning Director Johnathan Smith: "So -- use the community village guidelines already in the zoning ordinance  in an overlay district there? ... that may be a good idea." (Smith said as a city employee  he himself had to remain neutral at this point: could not officially support one proposal over another.)

Committee Chairman Dick Charles: "We just created a medical overlay district for the hospital ... there's no reason we cant do the same (village overlay) for Greeno."

OUTSIDE CONSULTANT MAY BE NEEDED

Calling it a good investment for the city, Planning and Zoning Board member Gary Moore asked if there was any money in the budget to hire a consultant who could come in and help facilitate plans for the north corridor.

Planner Smith: "I'll check into the availability of funds to possibly hire a facilitator."

Also, it was decided to ask the mayor to write a letter to Auburn University's School of Architecture to see if it could offer professional input (since the university owns property along the corridor) and another member (Russo) was to gather material from a similar project in Pascagoula, Mississippi (called Anchor Village).

The next meeting will be in March, according to Chairman Charles.

(Publisher's Note: AVillage Center already exists immediately to the north, consisting of the Fly Creek Village and Village North PUD's.)





Comments

Anonymous said…
I don't know why they bother. The city is only going to let you do what they want you to do with your property.
Anonymous said…
that's right. its called zoning, to keep it from becoming another airport blvd. hopefully.
Anonymous said…
Why are the majority of the members on the committee people who have a vested right and will benefit $ from the zoning? Local citizens trying to line their own pockets. Can you say indictments?
Anonymous said…
Well, let me ask this. Would anyone of you want to live on a five lane highway? I'm not for a hamburger ally, but let's be realistic here. That property isn't worth anything as residential. Keep it nice, but let's get on with some progress here.
Anonymous said…
That property is suitable now for apartments, R 5 zoning.
Anonymous said…
I hear that the Federal agents have ask for names and addresses of all on the committee. Oh boy,,,,here we go...