City planning staff told the Mobile Planning Commission on Sept. 18 that they will hold a public hearing Oct. 16 on proposed revisions to Appendix A (Downtown Development District) of the Unified Development Code.

Staff said the draft reorganization focuses on improving clarity and usability — replacing dense text with tables and graphics, consolidating zoning subdistrict regulations, unifying street‑furniture and frontage standards, and streamlining the development standards (parking, landscaping, signage and fences) into more accessible sections. The stated goal is to preserve the original meaning and intent of the downtown regulations while making them easier for developers, designers, neighborhood groups and staff to use.

According to the presentation, the city worked with consultants (Planning Next and Clearinghouse & Associates) and conducted stakeholder outreach beginning in October 2024. Staff said the consolidated draft also formalizes current administrative practice by redistributing some responsibilities formerly vested in the consolidated review committee (CRC) to staff review steps, while retaining the review role in practice.

Commissioner and stakeholder comments were largely supportive of a clearer, more visual format. Commissioner Renfrew, speaking for the downtown group, said staff had been cooperative and collaborative. Staff noted they intentionally avoided making significant substantive changes in this draft; the purpose is to create a more usable template so that future substantive edits can be made more easily and transparently.

The commission voted to call for the public hearing on Oct. 16, 2025. Staff said the full draft and a public input portal will be posted on the City of Mobile’s websites and that final adoption, if recommended by the commission after the hearing, will rest with the City Council.

The public hearing will be held at the conclusion of the Planning Commission’s Oct. 16 meeting, staff said. Stakeholders and the public were invited to review the draft code and submit comments through the city’s online portal or at the hearing.