Alabama Counties Seek Planning Powers

The Association of County Commissions of Alabama has set a 2001legislative goal of gaining authority for counties to regulate county development through the implementation of planning and zoning requirements.According to The Huntsville Times, for the second year in a row, the association plans to introduce a bill allowing counties to set up rural planning and zoning boards to oversee development -- if residents approve the idea in a referendum. A similar bill proposed last year never made it to the House floor for debate. The association says rural areas in Alabama often growwith no controls, resulting in a jumble of development that brings downproperty values. A number of groups, including the Home BuildersAssociation of Alabama and the Alabama Association of Realtors, could support the measure. But the Alabama Farmers Federation fears counties could zonefarmers out of business.