by Greg Markley
Political Writer
On Tuesday, the Opelika Planning Commission granted preliminary and final plat approvals, including one for land currently serving as a mobile home park but that spent the 1980s as an “outside area” for cement manufacturing.
That action, for the Scotland Park subdivision, was to sell a lot at 500 Crawford Road/AL Highway 169 on the 8.45 acre property to an adjacent property at 601 Old Columbus Road. The goal: Duplicate the same lot size as in the 1980s to serve the operations of a cement manufacturing plant.
Responding to concerns expressed by residents, commissioners said they were reassured the nearby residential areas would not be negatively affected as all work would be done during daytime. The property owner who applied for the OPC action is Barrett-Simpson, Inc.
The commission also authorized final plat approval for a new lot to be created from a three-acre parcel, on Rocky Brook Lane. Planners noted that the issue was discussed at the January OPC meeting and that “all parties worked together to implement this boundary lot adjustment.” Preliminary plat approval was granted in February.
Property at 701 Cusseta Road was approved so that five parcels, ranging from one acre to twenty acres, could be used for Gentlebreeze subdivision. Preliminary approval had been obtained in February.
In the final agenda action of the day, the commission decided to hold a public hearing to discuss Section 7.3 on the District Regulations in the Zoning Ordinance. That section deals with exterior material in two gateway corridor overlay districts.