DAPHNE – By a 5-1 vote, the Daphne City Council approved the lease of a parcel that has been a small downtown park.
The council voted Monday, Dec. 20, to approve a request by the Daphne Downtown Redevelopment Authority to lease a 25-foot by 112-foot parcel for 50 years. The property is located at 1761B Main St. near City Hall.
Council Ron Scott cast the only vote against the proposal. Councilman Doug Goodlin was not present at the meeting.
Scott said the site has been a park for many years. He said many residents objected to a request to lease the site several years ago.
“I was on the council when we were approached by an individual to develop that property and there was an outcry of a lot of citizens,” Scott said. “They did not want that park to be anything other than a park. It’s a pocket park. It’s open space. I’m not in favor of this, but certainly, I understand the will of the council. I’m just one vote and unlike 15 years ago, I don’t take this stuff personally.”
Scott also objected to the fact that the building would not have its own parking.
“So we have a problem with parking in downtown Daphne now and we’re going to put up a new building with no new parking, which is going to add to an existing situation,” Scott said.
Adrienne Jones, city planning director, said municipal regulations would require the building to have two parking spots, but that those leasing the building could be allowed to use public parking, such as the new city lot across Main Street from the site.
The lease proposal approved by the council allows the site to be developed as a mixed-use commercial and residential development. The ground floor of the site would be a retail space, while the upper floors would be residential.
The plan would also not allow the building to be used for professional office space or any restaurant or business that allows prepared food and alcoholic beverages to be served.
Under the plan, the city would lease the property to the Downtown Redevelopment Authority for 50 years at a one-time price of $50.
The council voted in November to table the proposal until the request could be reviewed by the city Building and Property Committee. The committee reviewed the proposal on Dec. 13.
