The Brundidge Planning Commission tabled a request Thursday to rezone six acres of property off U.S. Highway 231 near the site of the former landfill.

Commission president Herbert Reynolds said residents had contacted him about the rezoning thinking that the acreage was being rezoned to prepare to place a prison there.

“This is not being rezoned to put a prison here,” Reynolds said. “A prison could not be placed in this zoning.”

The land in question is currently a reserved residential zone. Industrial Developers LLC. brought forward the request to rezone six acres of the property for commercial use.

“I grew up right outside of Brundidge and I don’t want a prison here,” said Jason Senn, who represented the company at the meeting. “This is to attract a restaurant or a truck stop or any good business that is willing to come. This all hinges on the service road that goes by the property. The hope is that attracts businesses because you wouldn’t have to spend $100,000 to build a turn lane off the highway there.”

Commissioner Lawrence Bowden said the size of the property also wouldn’t make sense for a prison.

“Six acres isn’t even big enough for an entranceway to a prison,” Bowden said.

Reynolds said it would be specifically stated in the minutes if the rezoning is passed that the intent is to attract commercial businesses, not a prison.

Senn said the main interest is to attract a business there so that the City of Brundidge can grow.

The commission ultimately tabled making a decision until Monday, November 13 to have more time to study the proposal before making a vote.

Rev. Randy Harvey said he wanted to ensure that residents are aware of what is going on in the city government and make their voices heard.

The commission also took up an item of business from their previous meeting, voting to allow the rezoning of a property from reserved residential to mobile home residential so that a resident could place a mobile home on the property. The vote passed unanimously and will now move to the city council for a final say at their next scheduled meeting. Nobody spoke in favor or opposition to the motion.