Chair James Parker asked if the towing business would need to install a fence to protect the towed vehicles from damage or theft. Hale said that most towing storage businesses are required by their insurance company to have a fence to protect damaged vehicles from accidents. "The insurance lobbyists want to make sure their product is safe and clean," he said.

He pointed out that the requirement may only be for damaged cars and not untagged or abandoned ones. City Council Liaison Chris Tillman pointed out that either way there should be some kind of screening to shield the storage area from the public’s direct view. "We don't want to create the appearance of a junkyard," he said.

Hale was adamant that the City was not trying to hurt anyone by towing vehicles. "We’re not trying to hurt anybody; we’re just trying to get what has obviously not been messed with for a period of time, off the street." He added that removing the abandoned cars could make the City look nicer and open up parking in the areas where there is a lack of space.

Planning Commission reviews Community Village overlay

The Planning Commission reviewed aspects of the Community Village overlay at their January meeting. Member Dan Myers asked the Commission to consider how the City could encourage the construction of more affordable homes and how they could decrease the amount and long-term cost of infrastructure.

The concept of townhomes and their impact on the affordable market is common across the Country. Zoning & Code Enforcement Officer, Darryl Hale, pointed out that "Townhomes are not forever. It’s a home that is easier to afford than a single family." Myers agreed saying that most people buy a townhouse with the intention of moving into what they really want after they have saved the money to do so.

City Council Liaison Chris Tillman asked how densities could be increased to allow for more affordable options, like townhouses, without overloading the City’s infrastructure systems. Increased density can also lessen how much infrastructure material (pipes, wires, etc.) needs to be installed, which is the most important aspect for the City according to Hale.

City Manager Jim Wieprecht said a lot of water and sewer providers charge additional ongoing fees based on the size of sewer and water lines serving the property. Those additional fees are put aside to pay for eventual replacement of the infrastructure. However, that cost does not cover day-to-day operations. "We are in the minority of just charging strictly based on usage with no kind of base fee or anything like that," he said.

Currently, the City does not have the infrastructure to handle the proposed 454-home Mountain Brook development. This includes fire and EMS, as well as water recharge acreage. Wieprecht explained that the APFO (Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance) tests, which evaluate the impact a proposed development would have on the City’s infrastructure, are not performed until closer to the Plan's approval. "A plan might be in the preliminary plan stage for a year and a half, so if we do APFO at the beginning of it, by the time it’s ready for approval those numbers may all change," he said.

The Commission will continue discussing other aspects of the Community Village overlay, such as the width of streets, garage usage and storage concerns at future meetings with any changes being made well into the future.

For Myers, he asked the Commission to consider what makes a small town feel like a small town. "I think a small town requires people to be in town for a certain amount of time. Maybe five to ten years." He said the Community needs residents to be active by participating in the different aspects of the City, which is easier to accomplish when someone lives in the area for a while.