By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— The Pelham Planning Commission voted to table a rezoning request off Oak Mountain State Park Road at its March 10 meeting after determining they needed additional information to move forward.

James B. Kovakas, who also owns a home on Oak Mountain State Park Road, applied to have a plot on the road rezoned from an O & I Office and Institutional District to a B-2 General Business District on Jan. 28.

Kovakas said he wanted to use the space for a real estate company with the possibility of using the space for additional ventures in the future, such as a juicing or baklava shop.

A lack of information from Kovakas related to right-of-way acquisition and other issues led the commission to postpone the vote to the April meeting.

“One of the things we try to do in our role is make sure we get as much information as we can to do our due-diligence in the beginning,” said Chairperson Mildred Lanier. “So that anything moving forward to the City Council, we’ve tried to answer questions that they might anticipate or expect us to.”

Lanier said the issue related to right-of-way is a standard requirement in Pelham, and when asked about his plan, Kovakas referenced the city’s Oak Mountain State Park Road project.

Kovakas said the city’s project would include a right-of-way project, which should include the proposed plat. He also said he could address the issue later, during the drawing and planning portion of his project.

“If it’s that way now, with B-2 that situation wouldn’t change,” he said. “The same issues that the city will have will still be there as we have it today as the O & I…maybe that needs to be addressed when we get to more of the drawing stage and the plan stage.”

Commission members commented on also wanting to gain additional information from Kovakas and also allow him to speak more with the city engineers and officials.

“For me personally, I would like some more information, if we could obtain that information, about the future of the right-of-way acquisition of that road,” said commissioner Kim Speorl. “I think it’s going to make a big difference, as far as setbacks or concerns, and it’s also going to help us get a time frame for your project.”

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to table the vote to the next meeting on Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m.