The Decatur City Council is postponing its updated zoning ordinance

DECATUR, Ala. (WAF) – The Decatur City Council added changes to a new zoning ordinance during Monday’s council meeting.

Decatur’s current zoning ordinance dates from the 1950s.

City Council President Jacob Ladner says the outdated rules make it difficult for Decatur to keep up with its neighbors.

“It just makes it more modern, another effort to make it easier for citizens and developers to understand and just get us to 2024,” Ladner said.

Ladner says the old ordinance was written before some city projects existed. Therefore, a development group was brought in to draft a new one; to tackle contemporary problems.

Decatur resident Andrea Hoffmire has taken it upon herself to read all 400 pages of the ordinance and she has concerns.

“Is there anything where there should be a benchmark, instead of there being things that just say ‘more’… How much more,” Hoffmire said.

She believes the council acted too quickly, but appreciates the delay caused by Monday’s amendments.

“What we are still left with is the fact that the public does not understand what is in this document,” Hoffmire said.

Councilman Billy Jackson made it clear that he will not vote for this ordinance until the city hires a full-time planning director.

“The demographics of our city are changing seismically,” Hoffmire said. “And if we don’t start engaging and communicating with all citizens in a way that meets them where they are, we will pay for that in generations to come.”

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