What is a Comprehensive Plan, and why is it needed?
As Odenville has grown to over 5,000 people, the City of Odenville currently lacks a Comprehensive Plan for short-term and long-term decision making and realizes the need for this “roadmap” to guide future growth, capital investment and zoning decisions over the next 5 - 10 years. Odenville is embarking on this planning process in order to create and adopt a Zoning Ordinance in accordance with state statute. The plan will be developed in accordance with Alabama Code of Law § 11-52-8. through 11-52-10.
The plan will be used to guide decisions regarding new development, future land use, infrastructure and public services, transportation, rural preservation and natural resources, parks and recreation, and quality of life. The heart of the Plan will be the Future Land Use Map. The Future Land Use Map and associated goals will promote concepts such as concentrating new growth in areas where adequate infrastructure and public services exist, protecting agricultural land and environmentally sensitive areas, and promoting desirable land uses that complement each other.
To administer the plan and a potential future Zoning Ordinance, Odenville will also need to establish a Planning and Zoning Commission. It is the function of the Planning and Zoning Commission to adopt the Comprehensive Plan and to administer the regulations adopted within the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning and Zoning Commission will be responsible for holding public hearings and making recommendations to the City Council regarding Zoning Ordinance changes (i.e. text amendments or zoning map changes).
The plan will be used to guide decisions regarding new development, future land use, infrastructure and public services, transportation, rural preservation and natural resources, parks and recreation, and quality of life. The heart of the Plan will be the Future Land Use Map. The Future Land Use Map and associated goals will promote concepts such as concentrating new growth in areas where adequate infrastructure and public services exist, protecting agricultural land and environmentally sensitive areas, and promoting desirable land uses that complement each other.
To administer the plan and a potential future Zoning Ordinance, Odenville will also need to establish a Planning and Zoning Commission. It is the function of the Planning and Zoning Commission to adopt the Comprehensive Plan and to administer the regulations adopted within the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning and Zoning Commission will be responsible for holding public hearings and making recommendations to the City Council regarding Zoning Ordinance changes (i.e. text amendments or zoning map changes).
Relationship Between Zoning and the Future Land Use Map
The Future Land Use Map expresses the community’s vision for how they want to see Odenville develop over time. It is a guidance document, not a set of regulations. The Future Land Use Map and the descriptions of each Future Land Use category are intended to guide decisions on the creation and adoption of a Zoning Ordinance.
Over time, the Future Land Use Map should also guide zoning cases and discretionary permits by the City Council and the future Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment. These bodies should refer to the Future Land Use Map whenever they evaluate a proposed rezoning or land use question. If the proposal is consistent with the Future Land Use Map, then they should approve it. If it is not, then they should evaluate other alternatives.
The Future Land Use Map is not a static document. It can and should be periodically updated to reflect changes in real conditions and community preferences.
Over time, the Future Land Use Map should also guide zoning cases and discretionary permits by the City Council and the future Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment. These bodies should refer to the Future Land Use Map whenever they evaluate a proposed rezoning or land use question. If the proposal is consistent with the Future Land Use Map, then they should approve it. If it is not, then they should evaluate other alternatives.
The Future Land Use Map is not a static document. It can and should be periodically updated to reflect changes in real conditions and community preferences.
WhAT IS ZONING?
The purpose of a municipal zoning ordinance is to divide a municipality into districts or zones according to suitability for particular uses and to regulate the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair or use of buildings, structures and land according to such districts. The goal is to lessen congestion in the streets; to provide safety from fire; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent overcrowding of land; to facilitate adequate provisions for transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks and other public requirements; and to conserve the value of buildings.
Click here to read more.
Click here to read more.
Who is developing the Comprehensive Plan and how much did the City pay for this?
The City Council voted on March 25, 2025 to hire the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) to develop the new Odenville Comprehensive Plan (Resolution No. 2025-003).
The total project fee for the development of the Comprehensive Plan is $149,997.79. A grant program administered through the RPCGB provided federal funding for 80% of the total project cost, and the City of Odenville paid $29,999.56 for the local match of 20% of the total project cost.
To learn more about the RPCGB and to view other plans they have developed, visit www.rpcgb.org/aboutrpcgb and www.rpcgb.org/community-plans-studies.
The total project fee for the development of the Comprehensive Plan is $149,997.79. A grant program administered through the RPCGB provided federal funding for 80% of the total project cost, and the City of Odenville paid $29,999.56 for the local match of 20% of the total project cost.
To learn more about the RPCGB and to view other plans they have developed, visit www.rpcgb.org/aboutrpcgb and www.rpcgb.org/community-plans-studies.