The Huntsville City Council voted Thursday to rezone parts of the city to keep apartments out of established neighborhoods.

The approval to rezone neighborhoods from Residence 2-A to Residence 2 came despite concerns by a couple of residents during a public hearing that the measure seemed to protect wealthier neighborhoods while the city needed more affordable workforce options.

“It would be a mistake, one that favors the privileged over the public,” Slaughter Road resident Levon Montgomery said. “You were saying this is protecting neighborhoods. I ask protecting them from what? From nurses, teachers and young families who need somewhere to live?”

But District 4 City Councilman Bill Kling and District 3 City Councilwoman Jennie Robinson said many of the neighborhoods being rezoned were not affluent neighborhoods, but aging neighborhoods where people with moderate incomes lived.

Robinson said many of the neighborhoods were home to nurses, teachers and young families. Kling said the rezoning had the support of several neighborhood associations and hoped other neighborhoods would be added to the list. Manager of Planning Services Thomas Nunez said 52 neighborhoods are being rezoned.

Mayor Tommy Battle said that all the neighborhoods involved were already platted only as single-family homes.

He cited a neighborhood where homes were demolished, and apartments were built in their place. Battle said the apartments were not in character of the neighborhood.

Nunez also said the zoning change would not keep developers from adding affordable housing options such as townhomes and duplexes. He also said other neighborhoods would be evaluated and could be rezoned later.

The previous zoning would have allowed for the development of multifamily units (apartments and build-to-rent products).

None of the neighborhoods involved contains undeveloped land in which apartments can be built, which was a concern of Planning Commission member Kyle Collins, who called the rezoning a good thing during a meeting in February.

Nunez said the city did not want to rezone “to strip somebody’s property rights.” He said during the February Planning Commission meeting the rezoning would protect the investment of current property owners.

The change does not include restrictions that are not already included in R2A.

City officials said the previous zoning designations were established decades ago. A comprehensive policy review by the city includes a policy to conduct zoning designation reviews every 10 years, ensuring that future development aligns with existing zoning standards.

For more information on the rezoning change, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/r2rezoning.

See story: Is Huntsville about to ban apartments in your neighborhood? – al.com