SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Spanish Fort’s economic engine churned a little louder Monday after the Planning Commission recommended several rezoning requests for approval.

The commission approved property owner H. Lloyd Dewberry's request to rezone the lot adjacent to Midway Lumber on Spanish Fort Boulevard for “future business development.” 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.

The lot in question currently houses an occupied residence, and Building Official Bruce Renkert said this property and its neighbor remain the only residential holdouts on that side of U.S. Highway 31.

The commission also approved the preliminary and final recombination plat plan as well as the site plan for Lots 20 and 21 of the I-10 Commerce Center, submitted for consideration by Mobile-based Pate Land Development Co. LLC.

Although the original plans for the site called for the city’s first proposed underground stormwater detention center, the developer has since altered the language of the request to encompass either underground or an above-ground variety. The commission also amended the language of the motion to ensure maintenance of the detention facility—regardless of its location—transfers with the title of the property and not the structure.

In other business the commission unanimously:

The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission will be held on Monday, June 8, beginning with a 6 p.m. work session followed by the 6:30 p.m. meeting at the Gathering Place in the Spanish Fort United Methodist Church’s Prodisee Center.

An informal work session will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 26 in the conference room at City Hall.