DAPHNE, Ala.—The Daphne Planning Commission gave unanimous favorable recommendations to the proposed Golf Course zone and Outdoor Amusement zone proposed amendments to the Land Use and Development Ordinance at Thursday’s meeting.

The City Council discussed the proposed outdoor amusement district, C-2, at the Sept. 13 work session, and some council members said the district didn’t do what they wanted, which was create a separate zone for golf courses.

“The council requested a zone that protects golf courses from being torn down and made into a business,” Councilman August Palumbo had said at the September work session. “Golf courses in Daphne are improperly zoned. One is zoned B-1 and another is zoned R-3, and neither is correct. If you zone golf courses C-2, then it can be turned into an amusement park.”

City Development Director Adrienne Jones sent to the planning commission a new proposed amendment with golf courses in their own zoning district, G-C, and outdoor amusements in their own district.

“(The G-C zone) defines what a golf course is and what green space is,” Jones said at Thursday’s planning meeting. “This goes with what the council was looking for.”

According to the proposed table of permitted uses, the G-C district would allow golf courses and country clubs; and the C-2 district would allow athletic fields and stadiums, tennis courts, public or private swimming pools, amusement parks, riding stables, marinas and skateboard parks.

The commission approved the proposed amendments, but one commissioner had concerns that the council would approve the golf course zone but not the outdoor amusement zone

“I don’t see why we don’t put it all together,” Commissioner Larry Chason said. “If you want that, then take this, too. I think there’s merit in the C-2 and (the two zones) work together.”

Commissioner Cathy Barnette said she does not think the council was against the C-2 zoning district, but the membership wanted golf courses completely separate.

The issue came into discussion earlier in the year when it was realized that the TimberCreek golf course is zoned commercial, while the Lake Forest golf course is zoned residential. According to Palumbo, this would allow the golf courses to be replaced by a residential area or a commercial building, which the citizens expressed concerns about.

The proposed zoning districts would not immediately change the zoning of current outdoor amusement areas or golf courses. That would require council approval on a case-by-case basis. It would only affect future outdoor amusement areas.

In other news, the commission:

•Unanimously approved a final plat review for the Dunmore subdivision at Alabama Highway 181 and Austin Road.

•Unanimously approved acceptance of all streets contained within the Dunmore subdivision.

•Unanimously approved master plan approval for the Springs at Eastern Shore apartment complex and to remove a common line out of the parcel on U.S. Highway 98 and Lot one at the Springs at Eastern Shore.

•Sent a favorable recommendation to the council for the re-zoning of around .75 acres at the corner of U.S. Highway 98 and Johnson Road from B-2, General Business, to R-4, High Density Multi-Family.

•Tabled a site plan review for the Springs at Eastern Shore and the election of commission officers.