Prattville council votes down plan to build apartments near upscale neighborhood

PRATTVILLE − The Prattville City Council voted down a rezoning controversial request Tuesday that would have allowed the construction of a 240-unit apartment complex across from an upscale neighborhood.

Barrett-Simpson, a development firm out of Birmingham, was backing the apartment project. The council voted 4-0 in opposition. The vote came after months of protests at council meetings from residents of the Homeplace neighborhood, which has homes valued up to $500,000.

The property is at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and the U.S. 82 Bypass. It’s near the entrance to Capitol Hill, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. The area will stay zoned for business, single-family homes and planned-unit developments.

At the beginning of the Tuesday night meeting, during the public comment portion, a representative of the developer and landowners asked the council to delay the rezoning permanently. That move died for a lack of a second.

Those opposing the planned apartments said they were concerned about traffic problems and a lowering of their property values if the project went forward.

The council has seven seats, with one open after the resignation late last year of its representative. There will be a special election Tuesday to fill that seat. District 1 Councilman Albert Striplin did not attend the meeting due to medical reasons. District 2 Councilman Marcus Jackson attended the beginning of the meeting and most of the public comments but left before the business portion took place.

That left four councilmembers present; Lora Lee Boone, John Chambers, Tommy Merrick and Robert Strichik. They all voted against the rezoning request.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Prattville rejects plan to build apartments near upscale neighborhood