Daphne Planning Board Rejects Daphmont Rezoning for 24-Hour Service Station
The Daphne Planning and Zoning Board voted against rezoning land at the entrance to the Daphmont Subdivision for a 24-hour service station and recommended the City Council do the same.
DAPHNE, Ala. — The Daphne Planning and Zoning Board has rejected a Daphmont rezoning request that would have allowed a 24-hour service station with drive-through food service at the entrance to the Daphmont Subdivision. The board recommended that the Daphne City Council also deny the request.
The Request
The property is at the intersection of Johnson Road and Highway 98, next to the recently built Colonaid Apartments.
The developer told the board that only the first of three lots proposed for rezoning would be developed and that the grade of the remaining land made further development unlikely. Residents responded that the neighboring apartments had been built in a gully and former sand pit and said they did not believe the rest of the property would remain undeveloped.
Residents Speak Against
More than 100 people attended the meeting. Many spoke in opposition, and no one spoke in favor of the request.
One resident said the school bus, which makes its first stop at the apartments, is full by its third stop in Daphmont. Another speaker cited crime and congestion associated with 24-hour convenience stores. Others said the apartments had already affected the subdivision, and a University of Alabama student described her reaction to seeing the apartments when she returned home.
Regional Context
The Daphne and Fairhope planning and zoning boards operate independently, though decisions in each city can affect the other.
In Fairhope, nine public meetings have been held on the proposed Fly Creek Apartments, with total attendance of more than 1,000 people. Fairhope’s mayor has opposed that project.
