AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - Building heights in the downtown district were once again a topic of debate at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
Height ordinances have long been a point of contention in the city, as many residents want the heights in downtown to remain lower and many developers are pushing for taller height limits.
The maximum building height in the downtown district was set at 75 feet by the council in 2007. It was lowered in 2016 as part of the Downtown Master Plan to 65 feet. Now, developers are pushing for a 10-foot raise to bring the ordinance back to 75 feet. That raise was recommended by the Auburn Planning Commission last week.
Many residents expressed frustration toward the council for the quick change from the 2016 ordinance. Resident Linda Dean said that like the popular play “Chicago”, currently playing at Auburn University’s Telfair Peet Theatre, “greed, broken promises and shady deals” are happening within the council.
“Over and over for at least 12 years, citizens have asked leaders to maintain shorter building heights," Dean said, noting that it is unclear what has changed in such a short time to make the council reconsider the ordinance less than two years later.
Resident Susan Melton said the higher limit is unnecessary for a city the size of Auburn. "Do we want it to be an extension of the university or do we want it to serve the entirety of the city?”
The City Council will vote on the building height ordinance at the March 20 meeting.
