Tameker Maye closely studied the maps in the large meeting room at McAlpine Park Recreation Center Monday night.

“I was trying to see how my neighborhood or my street was going to be affected by the rezoning planning,” the North Pratt Neighborhood resident said. “I live close to an industrial area but we’re just trying to make sure nothing else that’s heavier comes into the area where we are.”

Maye was among nearly a dozen property owners in the Ensley/Pratt area who came to hear about tweaks to the Birmingham zoning plan that could affect their neighborhoods.

When the session was over, nearly all of the property owners endorsed the plan, which ultimately will go to the City Council for approval. Ten of the 11 persons in attendance voted to support the zoning plan.

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All rezoning proposals citywide.

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Faith Abraham, another North Pratt resident, abstained. She did not vote in favor of the zoning plan because, she said, she lacks faith in the process. That comes from memories of what’s been done in Pratt that she recalls from when she was in the third grade.

Now, she has grandchildren in the third grade.

“That’s because of what has happened,” she said. “In Pratt, we’ve seen a lot of things happen deceitfully. That’s why we don’t have trust.

“But I hope, with the cooperation that we did get on this zoning map, that it’s an indicator that we can begin to have trust in our city officials and that they will honor the things that they’re saying that they want to do in Pratt that align with what the people out here want,” Abraham said, “

Maye said she doesn’t want more truck stops and car washes to come to the area of her family home.

“We want, we need more legit businesses,” she said. “For example, Daniel Payne, that’s a high industrial area. We don’t want any more of those businesses on this side of Pratt.”

Michael Ward, a principal planner with the city of Birmingham, assured the property owners that city leaders are listening. That begins with efforts to downzone heavy industrial areas.

“If a heavy industrial area is not in use, or maybe just a vacant site, we look for those opportunities to downzone those properties from heavy industry to another use. Most go down to light industry,” Ward said. “That’s one thing that’s very, very appreciative from the people that I’ve spoken with in the Pratt and Ensley communities.”

Another part of the plan includes mixed-use zoning. That permits a property owner to have a business, such as a restaurant or a shop, on the ground floor and a residence upstairs.

“Downtown Ensley had that development pattern. Also, the commercial area in Pratt in and around Carlile has that development pattern,” Ward said. “Mixed use districts encourage more development to continue that development pattern in those areas. We’re hoping this would encourage more of that development pattern so that these areas can be more vibrant, more walkable and things of that nature.”

Monday’s meeting was just the latest in the list of steps toward resetting the zoning rules.

“This is a preliminary vote for people who live in the Pratt/Ensley community,” Ward said. “It’s mostly neighborhood officers and a couple of other stakeholders in the community. We’re grateful to get their vote of support.”

The next step is for the plan to go to the Zoning Advisory Committee of the Planning Commission. Notices will go out to all property owners in the Pratt and Ensley communities before that consideration.

From there, the proposal will go before the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee for its recommendation, then it advances to the full council. Notices again will be sent to all property owners in the Pratt and Ensley communities for a public hearing before the council vote.