Council approves rezoning for potential storage facility
Jan. 20—The Decatur City Council cleared the way Tuesday for a U-Haul storage building to be built on Sixth Avenue Southeast, but one councilman questioned whether more storage units are consistent with plans to improve the appearance of the corridor.
The council voted 4-1 to change the zoning of 3.6 acres at 1626 Sixth Ave. S.E. from RD-2, redevelopment district, to M-1, light manufacturing.
U-Haul plans to purchase property just south of Decatur Shopping Center and Julia's Pools, across from Saputo Dairy Foods, for a climate-controlled storage facility.
The property is vacant because the building that formerly housed Anderson Boats and a previous location of Julia's Pools was demolished after being severely damaged in an April 3, 2018, storm.
Engineer Blake McAnally, of Pugh Wright McAnally Inc., and developer Jeff Parker have said the sale of the property was contingent on the rezoning.
On behalf of U-Haul, McAnally and Parker promised the commission the company would reapply for RD-2 zoning once the zoning code is rewritten to allow certain types of storage buildings in that zone.
U-Haul also agreed to add a berm as a buffer from adjacent residential properties even though it's not required in an M-1 zone, City Planner Lee Terry told the council.
Billy Jackson was the only councilman to vote against the new zoning. He said he doesn't want this area to get the same reputation it had when a large number of title loan businesses opened on Sixth Avenue.
The city ultimately passed an ordinance that restricts how close a title loan or payday loan business can build to another similar business.
"I don't want Sixth Avenue, one of our major business thoroughfares, to be dominated by storage units," Jackson said. "We need to come up with a plan to find businesses for that area that provide services for our citizens. Is that the best use of that strip of property for our city, or can we find something that's better for our citizens?"
Council President Jacob Ladner said U-Haul's plan is a new type of storage facility "that are nice units. The rendering shows a good-looking building, and I think the landscaping is important."
Ladner said the neighborhood on the east side of the property will benefit from getting a berm that's not there now.
Terry said inquiries he received from Buena Vista Circle Southeast residents, whose backyards are adjacent to the property, mostly asked questions and didn't voice any opposition.
"I think some of the confusion is we had to list it as a generic mini-storage, but once we explained what the building really will be, that cleared up any misunderstanding," Terry said. "It's contained within a single building, and it's all indoor climate-controlled. That kind of alleviated some of the concerns that were raised."
Councilman Kyle Pike said his communications with two Buena Vista residents were "more or less clarification on the development and what it would be like."
Also on Tuesday, the council approved with a 4-1 vote the hiring of Daniel Boutwell as the new Environmental Services director.
Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin said Boutwell, director of the University of Alabama in Huntsville's fleet, motor pool, trash and recycling services, will start Monday at a salary of $90,699.
Jackson cast the lone vote against the resolution. He emphasized that his vote wasn't about Boutwell. Instead, Jackson opposes the creation of the Environmental Services director position.
Jackson said the city could save $150,000 by putting Environmental Services, which includes Sanitation and the city garage, under the Street Department or the Morgan County Regional Landfill.
— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.
