I applaud the Flomaton Town Council for agreeing to spend about $3,000 to have John Robert Smith spend a day in Flomaton to discuss the possibility of the town adopting a Form Based Code that could help the town attract new businesses.
Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant Jr., met Smith at an economic development workshop in Atmore. That two-day workshop wasn't free. The City of Atmore paid to have Smith and some of his employees with T 4 America come to Atmore to make a presentation to help that city grow economically.
I talked with Smith on the telephone. I learned he served as mayor of Meridian, Miss., for 16 years and spearheaded the redevelopment of its downtown district – not through zoning, but through the Form Base Code concept.
Since I've been in Flomaton the town has tried twice and failed to pass zoning. I agree the 'Z' word scares everybody. I chaired a committee that worked three years to develop a zoning ordinance we felt would fit Flomaton, but it was rejected. Mayor Bondurant attempted it again and it failed.
People are scared of zoning. They don't want the government telling them what they can and cannot do with their property. Some of those same people are quick to complain when their neighbor does something on their property that interferes with their life. But zoning cuts two ways. It's designed to not only restrict certain developments in certain areas, it's also designed to protect property owners.
Looking back, I think the committee I chaired probably went a little too far. The original goal was to try and establish residential and commercial districts. A lot of the things proposed dealt with safety issues, such as setbacks to keep people from building on top of each other.
In my conversation with Smith, Form Based Code accomplished what that original committee set out to do – keep conforming construction together to keep business and residential properties separate.
People in the Holt Subdivision don't need a hog farm planted in their neighborhood or a manufacturing facility that runs 24-7 making a lot of noise. Right now, both of those things could legally happen.
I was a little perplexed with the comments Flomaton resident Kenny White made at Monday night's council meeting about the Form Based Code concept.
He said Christian radio stations weren't too fond of the concept. He went on to question whether Smith was a Democrat or Republican and said the concept was created under the Obama administration.
First off, I could care less whether Smith is a Republican or a Democrat. If he can bring something to the table to help the town of Flomaton attract new businesses I don't care where his political or religious values lie.
I may be trying to read White's mind here a little bit, but it sounded as that if Form Based Code was formed under the Obama administration it had to be bad.
Everything Obama did wasn't bad and everything Trump does and is still doing isn't right. It's that political tunnel vision that has gotten this country in such a mess. If Republicans push it, Democrats are automatically against it and vice versa.
From my 30 minute or so conversation with Smith he said the concept is a way to shape land use and keep non-conforming things away from each other.
Will it work in Flomaton? I don't know. Will it help Flomaton attract new businesses which will in turn create job opportunities and increase the town's tax base? I don't know. I don't know and Kenny White doesn't know.
Nobody will know until Smith comes to Flomaton and presents a plan. If the mayor, council and business leaders hear his presentation and decide it's not right for Flomaton so be it. But until we at least give this a shot we are not taking the best interest of Flomaton at heart.
I know money's tight at town hall; it's tight for a lot of businesses in this area. But spending about $3,000 to explore a possible avenue to attract new businesses to town is a no brainer to me.
As Councilman Buster Crapps said Monday, if the council hears what Smith has to say and doesn't like it, the council doesn't have to take it.
I also agree with the Bible quote Mayor Bondurant said Monday night: 'Without vision, you will perish'.
