The Tuscaloosa City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to temporarily pause all residential rezoning and construction projects in the area surrounding The University of Alabama campus.
The council approved the initial recommendations of the Student Housing Task Force, which included a pause approval of rezoning or construction for any areas outside of “the box,” which is the area bordered by Queen City Avenue on the west, 15th Street on the south, McFarland Boulevard on the east and the Black Warrior River on the north – essentially the immediate area surrounding The University of Alabama campus. The City Council voted unanimously to amend the resolution to include “the box” in the area of no construction until the task force releases their final recommendations..
“It is a positive step in the right direction,” Mayor Walt Maddox said. “But we have to look at this as a beginning.”
Other recommendations approved in the resolution were to update the comprehensive plan, study the potential use of impact fees, eliminate a provision in the landscape ordinance which interferes with parking in residential complexes and to revise the zoning ordinance of Tuscaloosa.
The task force was formed by Maddox in June to address fears about a surplus of off-campus student housing in the city.
“I look forward to having the final recommendations from the Student Housing Task Force in two weeks,” Councilman Matt Calderone said. “I think it is important to move forward because this is a time-sensitive issue. We have a lot of developers outside the state of Alabama, outside Tuscaloosa and in Tuscaloosa that want to develop, to put businesses here, to put developments here. We don’t need to hold them up longer than is necessary.”
The task force is expected to release its final recommendations in two weeks.
The council voted unanimously on four other resolutions and ordinances on the agenda in addition to the recommendations, including the approval of liquor and beer licenses for Kozy’s – a Tuscaloosa restaurant that was forced to close in June. The new owners were present at the meeting and said the restaurant is set to reopen in a few weeks.
