DAPHNE, Ala.—The Daphne City Council went in the opposite direction of a decision made at the Oct. 18 meeting, deciding to set the public hearing date for two changes to the table of permitted uses under the land Use Ordinance for Dec. 6.

The council voted 4-3 to set the public hearing date to change convenience stores to by-right designation in a B-1, Local Business, zone with Planning Commission approval, and to add bowling alleys and family entertainment centers as a use in a B-1 zone with Planning Commission approval.

Council members Bailey Yelding, Kelly Reese, Ron Scott and Cathy Barnette voted in favor of the motion. Councilmen John Lake, Derek Boulware and August Palumbo voted against it.

On Oct. 18, the council voted 3-3 and did not pass a motion that would set the public hearing date at Nov. 15 for the two changes to the table of permitted uses. The votes were the same, except Yelding left the meeting before the vote took place.

“I’m not opposed to doing a public hearing,” Yelding said at Monday night’s meeting.

Boulware said there was a signed petition by more than 30 property owners who are against adding a bowling alley and entertainment center under a B-1 designation, citing the property on the corner of Lawson Road and County Road 13 as a potential location for this use.

Similar to Yelding, Scott and Reese claimed there was nothing wrong with setting a public hearing date. Voting “yes” would not approve the changes.

“All we’re doing at this point is calling for a public hearing,” Scott said.

Palumbo said he did not agree with the changes because the process would avoid council approval.

“If we approve this, we are advocating ending re-zoning authority to the Planning Commission,” Palumbo said. “That’s why I oppose this. It has nothing to do with the business at hand.”

By altering the table of permitted uses and placing bowling alleys under the B-1 district instead of forcing the developer to re-zone the property B-2, it would allow a developer only to need site plan approval from the planning commission and not a re-zoning approval from the commission and council.

In other news, the council:

*Awarded a bid to Bill Smith Electric for the soccer and football lighting project at the Trione Sports Complex for over $402,000.

*Appropriated more than $363,000 for the Whispering Pines Road project from U.S. Highway 98 to Pollard Road.

*Appropriated just under $300,00 for the engineering of the fiscal 2011 road improvement projects.

*Appropriated more than $60,000 for the Sehoy subdivision Claiborne Circle drainage project.

*Annexed a property at the intersection of Whispering Pines Road and County Road 13 into the city of Daphne. The property will be zoned B-1, Local Business, and B-3, Professional Business.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be a work session on Monday at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. The next business meeting will be Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.