Grande Pointe Apartments developers on Tuesday withdrew a request for rezoning property adjacent to existing apartments within the Lake Forest subdivision.

The owner had requested that the 9-acre property be rezoned from R-3, high density single-family, to R-4, high density multifamily residential. The rezoning would allow for a second phase of the existing apartment complex.

“It’s my belief that they were just responding to the citizens’ outcry,” Councilwoman Cathy Barnette said. Several Lake Forest residents had attended the Aug. 20 city council meeting to show their opposition against the rezoning.

Currently, the owner is eyeing developments that comply with the current R-3 zoning, according to Barnette.

Under Daphne’s land-use ordinance, R-3 zoning requires a lot size to be 12,000 square feet.

Developers could build about 32 homes on the property.

Site plans will only go to the Planning Commission — not city council — for future R-3 developments, Barnette said.

With that matter pulled from the agenda, the focus turned to the proposed annexation of property adjacent to Gates VI LLC, located off County Road 64 and Pollard Road.

The council voted 5-2 favoring annexation. Council members Bailey Yelding, Ron Scott, Regina Landry, August Palumbo and President Greg Burnam voted for annexation. Council members John Lake and Barnette opposed the measure.

BMG Property Management, which owns Gates VI LLC, wants to buy adjacent property, have it annexed into the city and build 80 apartment units on it, according to Richard Davis, a BMG developer.

The units would essentially become phase two of the complex, Davis said.

Council members questioned why BMG wants the new property annexed into the city, but not the existing complex.

The owner is not asking for annexation for the current complex due to finances, Davis said.

Based on their calculations with 2006 property taxes, it would cost about $60,000 to annex the existing apartments and it would be a recurring cost, Davis said.

In other business:

•Fire Chief James White announced that he began his official duties as fire chief on Aug. 30 and will soon resign from the utility board. Alabama law states that only two employees from a municipality can serve on such a board. Currently, Mayor Fred Small, Councilman Ron Scott and White serve on the board.

•City leaders unanimously adopted an ordinance annexing property southeast of Pollard Road and Whispering Pines, on which The Orleans Commons, a 56-unit condominium development, will be situated.