Council to eye code changes

After a full day last Thursday and an open forum during Monday night's Flomaton Town Council meeting, the council decided to study and make a decision on whether or not to proceed with adopting Form Base Code for the town limits.

John Robert Smith, who used the Form Base Code to transform downtown Meridian, Miss., during his 16-year tenure as mayor of that city, spent last Thursday meeting with business leaders, property owners, citizens and the town council. Smith was joined by Tuscon Roberts, an economic developer.

More than 25 people showed up for last Thursday's meeting at town hall as Smith unveiled his 'Crafting Vision for Flomaton's Future' presentation.

Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant Jr., said ever since he's been mayor he's been looking for a way to attract new businesses to Flomaton without having to adopt zoning codes. He said the Form Base Code is the solution.

Bondurant told the crowd to be sure to tell their council members how they feel about the concept, because the final decision will be left up to them.

Smith hit on the high points, especially the 18,000 vehicles that travel through Flomaton everyday.

"That's a market to reach out and touch, but they have to have a reason to stop," Smith said.

He said Flomaton has a safe community and an excellent school system, which are positive selling points.

Through Smart Growth America and the Form Base Code, he said it's about shaping the quality of life of the place people live.

He said the history of separating businesses and residential areas goes back thousands of years and in the process many of the 'big box' stores left downtown.

He also said potential business owners are now chasing talent instead of smokestacks.

"Talent has replaced taxes as the number one driving force," Smith said.

He noted that a lot of economic developers don't do retail and said Amazon has changed retail, but it's retail that drives the tax base for most towns.

"You have to adjust," Smith said. "There are somethings Amazon can't do, like a barber shop or food store," he said.

He noted the big enclosed malls are drying up for more strip malls and said no matter how small a town is, there is a retailer out there for it.

"You want people to come here and pay your sales tax," he said.

He said statistics show that more sales tax comes in to Escambia County than goes out, which means people are in the county shopping.

"What you are selling has to be appealing, like selling your house," he said. "What is the curb appeal when you come over the overpass."

He said a master plan needs to be developed to address three things: who were you in the past, who are you now and who do you aspire to be.

"Flomaton needs to be known for more than a place you take right turn at Hardee's to go to the beach," he said.

During Monday night's town council meeting, Mayor Bondurant said he was "150 percent" in favor of adopting the Form Base Code in Flomaton and said the first steps wouldn't cost the town a dime.

"Every mayor I know who has been in this office tried to get zoning," Bondurant said. "Joe Brantley came close."

He said the Form Base Code is a way to get around full-blown zoning to make businesses and residences conform.

Bondurant also said it's important for the town to attract new businesses to increase the tax base, noting the town has lost police officers and public works employees due to the lack of funds.

"I'm for this 150 percent," Bondurant said. "If not, I wouldn't be speaking about it."

Councilman Buster Crapps suggested a committee be formed to study the matter further.

Bondurant said Smith could have the code designed and brought back to the council and it wouldn't cost the town anything.

"If the council doesn't approve it, it won't happen," Bondurant said. "Flomaton needs to do this. If we don't we'll look back and wonder why not."

"What scares me is I've never got something for free," Crapps said. "I've been here a long time. We want to improve but we need a little studying."

Councilman Roger Adkinson said he wasn't able to attend last Thursday's presentation but has talked to some who were there.

"There's a lot of questions of what this will and will not do for us," Adkinson said. "Seems like, we hear about it in one presentation and need to make a decision. We need to proceed with caution, put a committee together involving business people, non business people, clergy and others."

"What do we need?" Adkinson asked. "What do we want? Do we want businesses downtown or out on 29 and 31."

"They are going to do what we want," Bondurant said.

Bondurant said it's about trying to choose businesses that will fit in the area.

"Once they finish and we don't want to do it, we don't have to," Bondurant said.

Mack and Kathy McKinley said they moved to Flomaton from Excel and felt it was a move in the right direction.

"They had brilliant ideas for downtown," Mack McKinley said. "It's the best offer I've seen in a long time. The potential the town has to grow is there."

Former Mayor Brantley said he received death threats when he attempted to implement zoning in Flomaton.

He said with the traffic on Highway 113 and the four lanes, the town needed to look for retail in those areas and manufacturing downtown.

"We have to get to work together," Bondurant said. "If we don't do this it won't pass. Talk to your friends and neighbors."

Bondurant said he hopes the council comes back to the July meeting ready to pass Form Base Code.