SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The city council postponed until the March 1 meeting consideration of Asphalt Services’ request to rezone its Old Highway 31 property from B-3, or general business, to M-1, or light industrial.

During Monday’s meeting, attorney Tom Galloway, representing Asphalt Services’ Charles A. Renfroe, submitted proposed restrictive covenants for the property modeled on the nearby I-10 Commerce Center, but Mayor Joe Bonner said council members deserved time to “absorb” the covenants intended to minimize noise, dust and disruption to neighboring property owners before making a decision.

Former City Engineer Ronnie Gibson, who addressed the council prior to its consideration of the item, implored the council to deny the rezoning request on grounds that the activity proposed simply does not mesh with existing operations in the vicinity.

“It’s great to have this operation in our city, but not at this site … We’ve got to do the right thing here. This property needs to remain B-3,” Gibson said.

Specifically, Gibson said although Asphalt Services has already agreed to remove concrete-crushing equipment and operations from both the city and adjoining unincorporated county property, the company continues operating a sieve that separates and grades materials on the Old Highway 31 site, creating almost identical noise, dust, traffic and stormwater runoff concerns for neighboring residents and business owners.

“These activities don’t belong in this part of the city,” said Gibson, who also cautioned the council against breaking commitments to existing business owners in the area who are following proper zoning and use regulations.

Asphalt Services’ J.D. Odom said, when asked by Mayor Joe Bonner, that the company’s only interest in having the property rezoned is to allow for operation of a contractor’s storage yard for equipment and materials, and said no processing of materials will take place on the site.

“I can’t say there won’t ever be a pile of rocks (on the property),” Odom said, but he did say trucks and most likely pipes would be the primary equipment stored on the parcel.

In other business the council:

Also: 

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on March 1, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.