By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Council on Thursday unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s planned unit development ordinance.
The vote was delayed in August due to the addition of language in the ordinance. That was taken care of at last week’s meeting. The Trussville Planning and Zoning Board in July recommended the amendment to the council.
The recommended draft called for a minimum size of two acres for a downtown planned unit development and a minimum of four acres for a PUD within the transitional district. The recommendation for minimum acreage for all other areas of the city is 60 acres. The maximum residential density recommended in the downtown area is 12 units per acre.
The amendment to the planned unit development portion of the zoning ordinance could pave the way for a mixed use development. In June, real estate developer Aaron Conley; Greenville, S.C.-based Johnston Design Group’s Scott Johnston; and The Cottages President Cliff White presented their plans and answered questions about the proposed development, which would be located on the six-acre Wheeler property beside Captain D’s in the downtown Trussville area.
The plan would be for The Cottages, a Huntsville-based senior living community, to construct a mixed use senior housing development. White called it an “innovative product,” which would include an independent living space, assisted living space, small storefronts, a restaurant, a bike trail near Pinchgut Creek and a small park. The mixed use development would be pedestrian oriented and would work with the city’s downtown master plan. The goal of the development would be “to engage” the whole community, not just the senior living community, Conley said.
Conley and White were on hand for last week’s meeting. They will likely present their plans soon to the Planning and Zoning Board.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.