Next Thursday will be a very important day for the future of Flomaton. At 1 p.m. at town hall, the citizens of Flomaton are asked to show up for a question and answer period with John Robert Smith about the possibility of implementing a Form Based Code for the town.
From what we've read and what we've heard, it seems like a good plan to help improve Flomaton's economy for years down the road. But like you, we really don't know and won't know unless we attend that meeting and ask Smith some pointed questions.
Over the past 20 or so years Flomaton has tried twice and failed to pass any type of zoning. Mayor Dewey Bondurant Jr., has said Flomaton has lost potential businesses because the town is not zoned.
Our understanding is that the Form Based Code through Smart Growth America is a way to attract new businesses without zoning.
Is it right for Flomaton? We don't know. Will it help Flomaton grow economically? We don't know. But we hope to find the answers to those questions next Thursday afternoon.
Any decision to adopt the Form Based Code in Flomaton will be settled by a vote of the town council and the mayor.
If you like what you hear next Thursday, let your council members know. If you don't like what you hear, let them know as well.
All we ask is for the residents of Flomaton come to town hall at 1 p.m. next Thursday with an open mind and listen. You may walk away thinking it's great; you may walk away thinking it's zoning by another word. But you won't know unless you show up and then pass your thoughts on to the people who will make the final decision.
