Potential new and expanding commercial ventures dominated discussion during Monday’s informal Planning Commission work session, including a request for rezoning of the lot adjacent to Midway Lumber on Spanish Fort Boulevard for “future business development.”

H. Lloyd Dewberry, who also owns the adjacent lumber business, is requesting the 31,305-square-foot parcel at 8018 Spanish Fort Blvd., be rezoned B-2, also referred to as fringe commercial, because it is typically used in transitional districts that were formerly residential.

Building Official Bruce Renkert said he has no objections to the request as long as Dewberry is aware he has one year to take action on the property or resubmit his request. Renkert said he sees nothing in the request to suggest it won’t be consistent with the city’s frontage plans for U.S. Highway 31.

The commission also discussed the preliminary and final recombination plat plan for Lots 20 and 21 of the I-10 Commerce Center, submitted for consideration by Mobile-based Pate Land Development Co. LLC. Renkert and City Engineer Martin Pitts both made mention that this is the first project to come before the commission with an underground stormwater detention center. Because of the unusual structure, Renkert and Pitts said they want to be certain the 48-inch pipes set in a bed of gravel that feed into the storm drain on the street do not overload the street system.

In other business the commission: