Planning and Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening and welcome to the March 20 March 16, 2026 meeting of the city of Tus planning and zoning commission. Any written comments sent to staff or forward to the commission directly. At this time, like to introduce our staff, Jimbo Woodson, deputy city attorney. Michael Garner, city engineer. Zack Ponds, director of planning. Leotaa Coin, principal planner. There are nine members of the planning commission, all who are appointed by the mayor for staggered terms with the exception of the city council representative who is appointed by the city council. I ask the commission members introduce themselves and state their occupation. Begin with Miss Prince.

Dina, attorney, sorry, Dina Prince, attorney. Porsche Clark, 311 manager. Raven Howard, councilwoman, District 2.

Eddie Pew, retired, a bill right business owner. There were signup sheets located outside for public comment. Four speakers are allowed to speak in favor of petition and four speakers are allowed to speak in opposition of petition. All speakers will have a maximum of five minutes unless the commission votes to allow a longer time. The commission will take up items in the order of our final agenda. The commission will initially receive a presentation from the staff as to the details of the agenda item. Addition, we may hear certain matters involving the same property such as an annexation and a zoning matter concurrently. Although we will take separate votes on each matter involving the same property. After the presentation, I will call upon the petitioner to present their case. The petition will have a maximum of 10 minutes unless the commission votes to allow a longer time. At the conclusion of the petition's remarks, I will then call on any part in order to sign up who desires to support the petition. Thereafter, we'll call on any part any party in order to sign up who opposes the petition. The those who oppose petition when it comes your turn for comment please introduce yourself stating your name and address to the commission. Provide your remarks and any written comments again have been included into the record. After receiving the remarks of those who oppose the petition, the petitioner will have the opportunity to respond to the objections. Any rebuttal will be limited to two minutes unless the commission votes to allow a longer time. If the petitioner presents any new information in response to the objections, the commission will allow those who oppose the petition the opportunity to respond to the new information only. Any response be limited to two minutes unless the commission votes to allow a longer time. During the course of this presentation, you may be interrupted by any member of the commission for clarification or additional information. Again, such interruptions will not reduce your time. Once the commission members have are

satisfied they received all relevant information, I will close further discussion by the public at which time the commission members will discuss the matter and then vote. After the vote, you are free to leave. These proceedings are being recorded and broadcast live. All in-person public comment should be made at the podium into the microphone. Jurisdiction and all matters pertain to the following items. This commission serves as the final authority. One, subdivisions located within the city limits. Two, subdivisions located outside the city limits but within the city's planning jurisdiction. three developments with a special district and four approval letters for developments within the historic buffer zones. As to all remaining agenda matters, including annexations, reszonings, planned developments, and street vacations. This commission serves as a recommending body to the city council. In that regard, our decisions are in the form of a recommendation to be presented to city council. The city council will make the final decision on those matters. Subdivision approval requires the affirmative vote of six members of the planning commission. All matters which are recommendations to the city council require majority vote for an affirmative recommendation. At this time, I'll ask any members of the commission have any conflicts of interest as to any agenda matters before us tonight? If so, please state for the record. Having heard none, I would ask the staff to confirm on the record that proper notice has been given to all parties in interest as required by law as to all measure before the commission tonight.

Yes, it has. Okay, commission. There is agenda change. We have S1726. The Martin estates is requesting to continue to the next month. Do I hear a motion and a second on this item on the agenda to case be continued? Second. All those in favor say I. I those opposed eyes have it.

Okay. Approval of the minutes. With that, we will begin with the approval of the minutes. As the planning and zoning commission has received synopsis of the February 2026 meeting, I move that we dispense with the reading of the minutes of the same unless there are any deletions, additions, or corrections. All those in favor say I.

I. Those opposed. Minutes are approved. Good evening, commission. Starting off tonight, we have a few cases requesting to withdraw. Um, you can see them here. They were all continued from last month. Um, these are withdrawn prior to notice, so no vote is needed. Uh, we do have a few cases requesting to continue tonight. First up, we have Z0726. Um, a few people did sign up to speak on these. Um, do you have any questions for staff? Okay, out of respect for those made the effort to come down tonight on the uh Z06 202 26 the U 18 street from MR1 to SFR 5. We had two people in oppositions. Uh I guess first we need to have the petitioner formula request.

So the petitioner is not here tonight. Okay. Oh, okay. We do have a representative for the petitioner. Please come forward and you want to state your request publicly. Um I'm here tonight to ask uh for a continuence for beard 1914 for the submitted proposal for 28421 18th Street. And your name and address for the record, please. Uh Luc Bryant. Address 1811 Forest Lake Drive. Okay. Tuscaloosa.

All right. Again, I respect for those who have come out here tonight. We're going to let them hear say what they want to say. It might be a good chance for you also to hear what their concerns are. We always encourage if you hear those. You can reach out to them, make contact. Can always help your case potentially. So, okay. All right. Um, I was just sent to say that uh Mr. Bearden for the past month has had flu and pneumonia. Uh, didn't have time to make changes to the site plan and he couldn't be here tonight due to a family confict conflict with his children. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Uh again, we had two people signed up. Um Herbert, I can't make out the last name, but you can come forward and state your name and address for the record, so I will get it correct.

Good afternoon. My name is Herbert Brier, Captain B R I T F R D Bri. I live at 282618 Street, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They're next to the property that they trying to build this duplex on. I live next to that property and my request is uh just know on that duplex. That's what they trying to build there. That's our understanding and yes, that's my understanding what they but I live at 2826 18th Street next to this property. Okay. Yes. And you're obviously not in favor of this or you No. Okay. None in favor.

Well, hey, so what's going to happen now is he's asking for continuance. I'm assuming they'll come back next month. So, if there's anything specific about your being in opposition because there is no duplex on this street. Okay. There's no what? No duplex. Okay. Yes. All right. That's now we're on the record. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Thank you. All right. We have Elena Wilson. Yes. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Elena Wilson and u I have some land at 2842nd 18th Street.

Would you state your address for the record, please? My my address is 5124 Penoke Trail in Northport, but this is some land on 18th Street. And my questions is um what if if it was reszoned would I lose some of my land and how would the taxes be allocated when the tax time come and what is also why is it wants to be reszoned? It was never told why did it want to be reszoned. It's just asking for being reszoning. So I want those questions answered. the resoning. I can let staff answer this as well, but the property is currently zoned for, I believe, a single family house, right?

And the and the party would like to build a duplex and he cannot do that with the current zoning. He's asking to change the zoning to a zoning that does allow a duplex to be built. It will not impact any property lines or anything. Miss Cole, you have a I'll jump in here as well. Um to clarify the existing zoning, it's MR1. Um it's mixed residential one, so it does allow for a duplex. However, you have to meet a certain lot size and lot width.

Um 65 ft. I don't recall the lot size off um off the top of my head, but for a duplex in SFR5, which the petitioner is requesting, you only need a 50 foot lot with um which is why they're requesting that zoning. So, a duplex would be allowed today um if the petitioner's lot was meaning the the size to do so, but it does not. That's why they're they're asking for this change. Okay.

And in the future, will it affect if I want to build on my land? Would it affect my building if they build a duplex? Would it affect if I just wanted to build one, you know, one level housing? Would it affect how would it affect my building? It would not. you would be able to your property would still be the same size and and the same uh zoning district that it is today. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Is her property currently zoned MR1? I believe so. All this area is zoned MR1. All right. Thank you.

That's last only signed up to speak. Would anyone else care to say have a comment about this petition which is going to be ask for a continuence? Okay. Have any desire to come back up, sir? Okay. Thank you. All right. Commission, before us, we have a continuous request for Z0726 due to health reasons. And uh so that being said, all those in favor of granting the continuous request for 0726 say I. I. Those opposed eyes have it.

All right, commission. We have one more um case requesting to continue tonight. That's S1726. Um the applicant is here to request that continuence. Is anyone here to speak for or against this our original case 1726? Is the uh petitioner here to request?

Good evening, commission. I'm Robert Martin with Duncan Coker Associates, 2011 Town Center Boulevard. Um, part of the development team had a conflict tonight and couldn't be here. We would like to postpone till next month so that they can be here um to help present their case. Again, is anyone here to speak for or against this petition request? Okay. Having heard none commission before us, we have a continuous request. Uh what's the case number? 1726. 1726. All those in favor of granting this potential request say I.

I. I. Those opposed. Eyes have it.

Mhm. So, we um cannot get in touch with Mr. Rumsy. Uh we need six in order to hear subdivisions. A lot of these a lot of these cases that we have are companion cases. There's a reasonzoning and an annexation associated with them. So we could hear we could hear those cases and if y'all feel comfortable with recommending that they can then move forward to it wouldn't delay them to go to council with those requests and then they can come back for the subdivisions next uh month if that's okay. I mean that's fine with this body I would think.

And then hopefully we can get Mr. as we're doing this maybe Mr. Grumsy will end up showing up but if not then we'll have to continue the other cases to next month. So if we do it's companion cases and we vote on two of the three or one of the two then that one will not be on next month's agenda then correct right. Yes sir. All right.

All right. We'll move into our cases to be heard. Uh we'll start with a companion case that is BH Robinson. Uh this is Z0426 and S1226. um looking to reszone approximately 0.5 acres located at 2803 and 2805 Herman Avenue from SFR3 to SFR4. Um and then subdividing to create two lots at this address. So starting with the reszoning, you can see we're south of Stillman College here um near the McDonald Hughes Community Center. See that lot today is vacant. Uh you can see that existing zoning is SFR3. Uh the applicant would like to reszone from SFR3 to 4. Um they state there were two houses formerly on this property. They'd like to rebuild two new homes in the previous locations. Here's a photo of that lot today. You can see it's vacant. And here's just a a grab from Google. You can see in 2019 there were two homes at this location. Um here's that site plan. are proposing those two lots and two homes at that site. And here's a sample of what those homes may look like. In framework, this identified as traditional neighborhood core. Um, this request and use does conform to framework. You can see that identified here. Here are permitted uses in SFR4. And one more page. Um, and then looking at the subdivision, we'll just keep going through. Um just to clarify that that companion case. So you see those two lots here with contours without no variance requests. Um really that that zoning change to meet the minimum lot size here. Do you have any questions for staff?

Thank you petitioner. While the petitioner's coming up, can we go back to the uh rendering of what the finished product will look like? Mr. Chairman, members, commission, Chris Sintel, Sentel Engineering, 639 Black Bears Way, Tuscaloosa. Uh, thank you, Leotaa. She explained it very well. There were two there are existing two addresses now. There were two previous homes. They were torn down for uh lack of maintenance. So, uh, the developer wants to put two new homes back in this same spot. So, and we need the SFR4 for width.

Any other questions for petitioner? You want me to say a dissertation or something to slow it down? No, keep on keep going there. Have a seat, Chris. Thank you. All right. Uh, no one has signed up for or against this petition request. Is anyone here to speak for or against this petition? Again, we're only going to be voting on the We got one. Okay.

Ma'am, please come. Ma'am, come. We need to get this on the record so we know what again. Give us your name address for the record, please. Okay. My name is Gloria Robinson. I actually live at 52 Belleview Drive, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405. Uh the home that I'm currently it's my mother's house and it's currently in my name and I was just really trying to find out what it was about. All these SR43s I did not understand but this picture up here does enlighten more about what I'm looking for if that's being replaced with two different with two houses. So I'm okay with it but I wasn't okay at first.

Understand completely. Thank you ma'am. Anyone else here to speak for or against this petition request? All right. Having heard none, I think I think this is a positive for this area. I hope the builder builds these houses. They look nice. They do. There will be an improvement to hold them to that, right? Yeah. Yeah. Let's hold them to that.

All right. Again, so folks, again, we can only vote on one of these cases and this is the Z0426. Um, but this S126 will be on next month's agenda. So, commission before us, we have Z0426, beautiful homes, petitions to reszone from SFR3 to SFR4. Do you have a motion and a second? Motion. Second, Prince. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion approved. And before we move on to the next case, just to clarify, um, if the petitioner could come up and request a continuence and then y'all vote on that requested continuence. Fair enough. Okay.

And again, I apologize for the not having the quality. You need to apologize to me. Oh, I would like to request a continuence to next month. All right. Commission for we have a continuous request for S126, the BH Robinson two lot subdivision. All those in favor say I. I. I. Those opposed. Eyes have it.

All right, commission. Next up, we have another companion case. This is STNL Harky Lane. Three parts. Um, annexing point4 acres south of 4730 Harky Lane. Uh, reszoning that point4 acres from SFR1 to GC General Commercial. And lastly, consolidating um 1.37 acres um at this address. So, you can see we are on Old Colony Road um just right before the Rice Mine uh road intersection. You can see that piece to be annexed today. It is vacant. Um they'd like to bring that into city limits um for ultimate uh ultimately to consolidate the lots surrounding it and to build a vet clinic at this site. um petition um kind of covers it. They want to annex it uh replplat it and then develop a vet hospital here. Um this piece is in our primary expansion area. Here are department comments on the annexation. Moving into the reszoning. So once annexed, uh the piece of property would be SFR1. They'd like to reszone to GC General Commercial. So we're looking at that same piece again. Uh it's surrounded by general commercial today. Um here's just a a photo looking towards Old Colony Road of the site today. Um they'd like to reszone it to be compatible um with their surrounding property um for that vet clinic. Um again consolidating the lot and building a vet clinic here. Um in framework this property is identified as corridor commercial. This request and use does conform to framework. You can see that identification here. Here are permitted uses in GC. Clicking through those. Um and then lastly, um consolidating four lots into

one. You can see that with contours without. Um I know engineering does have some comments on the street cross-section. It might roll into next month. Um but other than that, no variance requests. Do you have any questions for staff? Oh, ma'am. Thank you. Petitioner, is the petitioner here? I know the petitioner, they were flying down from Ohio and sounds like we all got some crazy storms last night. So, I'm not sure if they were able to make it. Um, but staff can try to answer any questions y'all have.

All right. Is there any questions from staff? I think this is a far improvement what we saw once before on this property. So, uh, anyone in this audience care to speak for against this petition request? Okay. All right. Mr. Woodson, are we good to take a vote on these two items? Yes. All right. Okay. Commissioner Force, we got two that we could vote on. First being the annexation. We got an annexation request 0426 annexing the point4 acres located at 4730 Harky Lane. All those in favor of the annexation say I. I

those opposed eyes have it. Now we will take the vote on the reszoning of the newly annexed parcel. That would be Z0526 the 4 acres uh SFR12GC. Do I have a motion and a second? Motion. Second. Miss Howard? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion approved. Uh will the staff be uh representing the petitioner on the subdivision? So without the petitioner present, y'all do have to vote on this petition. So we can answer any questions that you might have on the subdivision. Yes, sir.

Okay. Are there any questions of the staff for this request? Okay. Okay. Michael, I don't think it's a problem to continue it, right? Okay. All right. Commission, since staff is requesting a continuence for S1326, the all those in favor of continuing, please say I. I.

Those opposed, eyes have it. All right. So, now we're on the preliminary plat. So, of course, we need six for these um to have a quorum. So, we'll just have to have the petitioners come up and request that continuence. Okay. All right. The the representative for S526, please come forward. Uh Mr. Chairman, members of board, I'm Mike McGuire, so I guess we asked to continue it.

No one No one has signed up for 1526. Is anyone here to on case 1526? Okay. All right. Commission, we have a contingent request for S1526. All those in favor say I. I. I. I didn't see you back this way fast enough. Okay. Name and address of the record, please. My name is Kathy Hammonds. I live at 3203 Arbor Lane in Tuscaloosa. Okay. I own the lot in five and six next to this old farmhouse.

Can we get the map up on that, please? So, um I don't understand exactly why you would want to reservey the lot since there's my house is sitting on two lots on that road. There's also another lot 9 and 10 has a house sitting on two lots. So, why are we reserveying it for one house? Or is it a house? Okay, we'll let the Is it a business? Well, we'll let the petitioner address that. Just Yeah. Raise your concerns and he can he can answer them for you. Okay, that's basically I want to know because it's it when I signed when I bought it that this was all a wooded area, right?

So, it was supposed to be residential uh with the possibility of what I have to possibly be a wedding venue if I choose to do so. Okay. So, this what you're seeing outlined there is is the property they're trying to consolidate to one lot. You see there, it's got a property line to the middle of it. Yes. But my house is sitting in the middle of two lots, too. Okay. So, in the lot 9 and 10 has a house sitting on Is your house sitting around the property line? Huh? Is your house sitting around the property line? It cuts right down the center of the house. That'd be a problem. That'd be a problem one day. I bought it that way. Why would there be a problem? Well, because if if you tried to sell one of the lots and now you've got But you wouldn't. I know that you wouldn't. I mean, if you had if you were going to build something that large, you wouldn't need to.

He's got They've got a reason for wanting to make it one lot. So, why don't we let them Okay. explain what he's trying to do. the uh the current owner plan is to his house is he's built a new house and of course removing the lot line so it won't technically violate any setbacks or anything like that. So that's that's all he's doing right. Yeah. I hope that answers the question. They're they're going to build one house and when you have a house on a piece of property there there are setbacks front back sides. This way he's got a wide enough lot, deep enough lot he can build a house pretty much on the entire property without having any setback.

Once he tears it down, he cannot build across that lot. Right? Be the same case for ma'am who for you. If you've ever tore your house somewhere rebuilt or if it was destroyed, you couldn't rebuild it back or if it was destroyed, you couldn't build it back there because of the the property lines. So, yeah, but it's still saying it's still saying staying It's not in the city limits which is

funny because anyone else have any questions or comments about this request? Again, this is going from two lots to one lot. All right. Permission has a continent request on S526. All say I. I. I. Those opposed. Eyes have it. We'll see next month. Uh, next case 1626. Who's the petitioner?

Commission. I will jump in. We did receive one public comment in opposition to this request. I've got I've got that here. We'll let Oh, yeah. We'll let those folks come up as well. Mr. Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, Marty McGomery, McGomery Tinkle Land Surveying 203 Hard Grove Road East representing uh Karen and Dwayne Linder in this project. We'd like to request a continuence until next month. Fair enough. Thank you. And again, we do have two that have signed up. We'll let them please have a chance to come up here and say their their piece. So, uh is there Dwayne? He's the owner.

He's the owner. Okay. You don't need to say anything at this point. I mean, uh, I've got a Karen

owners as well. Okay. So, though those are in favor, so we can hold your comments till next month. Anyone here to speak for or against this petition request. Okay. Having heard commission for us, we have continuous request for S1626. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed eyes have it. Uh, case 1726, Martin Estates. That's the one we continued on. So, we have 1826, the Skeleton Corner. Who's represented for that? Steve McFersonen, 4121 Vassie Drive. Uh here on the behalf of Joe Bridge Skelton and Mrs. Earnest and they are basically just he's getting a little more of her property and I think that is a financial thing that she was needing some money for something and that's all I know about it.

You're asking for a continuence request. Huh? You need to ask for a continuence because it's got to come back next month. Have to ask for a continuence. You do? Yes. If they were to vote on it, it's only five here and it would not be approved and you have to wait six months to come back. We don't have a quorum for subdivisions tonight. We have a quorum, but we don't have enough to approve it. It takes six votes and there's not six here. So, it'll be denied by vote. So, we're requesting that you ask for continuance. We just have to continue. Okay. We'll ask for a continuence till next next month.

Thank you, sir. Anyone here to speak for against this petition request? Ma'am, you come on up here and let's ask your question. Well, come get your name and address for the record and we'll get you an answer, I'm sure.

Okay. Uh, my name is Karen Harris and um I live at 17728 Old Faget Road in Northport, but I own the property that is adjacent to this um easement that they're going to build a driveway. On the paperwork that was put on your website and it shows my property, it says Steve Harris. I'm not sure which page it is. About six or seven, I think. It looks like it's going through my backyard. So, that's my question. It's like it says I'm adjacent, but the picture looks like it's going through my backyard. That page right there. Can you answer that page right there?

I'm not sure where her property is. Okay. See, it says Steve Harris in the in the on the left side. Oh, yeah. There. Okay. Okay. And you can see the um where the house is and it looks like that. That looks like that driveway is going through my backyard. See how close it looks to the driveway? See how close my See, this is the concrete driveway. It looks like it's like right through the backyard. Like right to the driveway. Now, I don't know what the scale is of that. So, that was my question. I was going to ask Mr. Skelton, but I see Mr. Skeleton's not here. Staff can I'm confused.

You worry about that line right there. That that line exists today. if I'm correct me if I'm wrong today there's a lot of woods between I mean that I that our property line I thought apparently I'm not very clear on where our property lines you're talking about the 40 foot strip up the top where the purple line where the purple line is yeah see how close it is to that driveway it looks like it's like right at the driveway there's a lot of her backyard that's in that driveway my daughter lives that in that house well I mean that's according to what everything we found surveyed from the previous Could Could I get Mr. Skeleton to call me? Could you get Mr. Skelton to call me? I'll get

All right. Okay. That's I think if we got you to connect, that'd be great. That help you out. All right. Thank you. Anyone else here speak for against this request? All right. Having heard none commission for us, we have continued request for S1826. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed eyes have it. With that being said, there's anything else staff we are adjourned.