DAPHNE, Ala.—The City Council voted down a motion to set a public hearing date for Nov. 15 to consider two changes to the table of permitted uses in the Land Use Ordinance. The vote was 3-3.

The planning commission proposed to require convenience stores to obtain planning commission approval in a B-1 zone, local business, and to add bowling alleys and family entertainment centers as an allowed use in a B-1 zone with planning commission approval.

Council members Cathy Barnette, Ron Scott and Kelly Reese voted in favor of the motion, and councilmen John Lake, Derek Boulware and August Palumbo voted against it. Councilman Bailey Yelding left the meeting before the vote took place.

The council discussed the bowling alleys and entertainment centers at an Oct. 11 work session, and Lake expressed his concerns about a bowling alley being near homes because of some residents’ complaints about a skating rink just off Main Street.

“I know with the skating rink, they’re not good neighbors,” Lake said at the work session. “The skating rink never has tried to do anything with their noise.”

Palumbo said he didn’t oppose the zoning changes, but he did oppose the process of not coming to council members for approval.

“The bearings of the changes in the zoning are not my reason for my vote. They may have merit,” he said at Monday’s council meeting. “The planning commission members are politically appointed. The council members are responsible to the citizens. There’s a fundamental situation here that I was opposed to.”

By altering the table of permitted uses and placing bowling alleys under the B-1 district instead of forcing the developer to re-zone the property B-2, it would allow the developer only to need site plan approval from the planning commission and not a re-zoning approval from the commission and council.

The next city council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at City Hall.