DAPHNE, Ala.—The Daphne Planning Commission Thursday unanimously approved a site plan to allow the Trione Sports Complex two soccer and two football fields to meet anticipated demand arising from the city’s popular youth sports programs.

An expansion of the 53-acre site—located southwest of the intersection of County Road 13 and Whispering Pines Road—will initially have a gravel parking lot.

“That’s temporary,” Scott Hutchinson, of Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch, said. “The intent is for it to be paved.”

Hutchinson said paving the parking lot would cost an additional couple hundred thousand dollars. Funding currently is unavailable to cover paving but he expects to find capital once estimates are done and a bid is awarded.

“The council would like to see a paved lot,” Commissioner Cathy Barnette—who sits on the city council—said. “We were trying to address the needs of the upcoming season,” she said, referring to approving the two-phase construction of the parking lot.

In other business:

•A site plan to expand Bay Communities Ministries was unanimously approved. The 15-acre facility is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 and Alabama Highway 181. The plan includes building a youth worship center and further landscaping of the parking lot.

•A site plan to construct the Eastern Shore Neurology and Pain Center was approved in a 6-1 vote; Barnette cast the lone ‘nay’ vote.

Barnette took issue with the building’s proximity to Yancey Creek.

A representative told Barnette the retaining wall is approximately 30 feet from the stream. The 1.5-acre property is on Main Street in the Village Pointe Office Park.

•A plat review to subdivide the Handy Lock Self Storage property was unanimously granted approval. The five-acre lot sits at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and County Road 64.

•Ed Kirby was unanimously elected as the new Planning Commission chairman.

Jeff Carrico—former chairman—was unanimously elected vice chairman of the commission.

•Don Terry was unanimously elected the commission’s secretary.