The Central Alabama Animal Shelter is one step closer to getting a new look.

The animal shelter, currently located at 2950 U.S. Highway E, is prepped to move to its new location at the corner of Bell Road and Medical Center Parkway.

The only thing stopping it is a zoning restriction.

That restriction could be destroyed after a 5-to-2 vote of the city’s planning commission on Tuesday.

The planning commission plays a role in approving the creation or alteration of subdivisions. It also makes recommendations to the Selma City Council about changing zones.

Its vote on Tuesday recommended to change the proposed animal shelter site from zone M2, which only allows light industry, to M3, which allows animal shelters.

That recommendation, though, wasn’t favored by everyone.

Deans Barber, who spoke to the commission on behalf of his wife, whose family previously owned the property, and his brother-in-law, pointed out that an M3 designation would allow industries such as slaughterhouses.

“This is spot zoning,” Barber said. “To solve the problem, the city should look at another location.”

Elizabeth Driggers, head of the city’s community development office, said the animal shelter has been looking for a new site since 1989.

“They felt that the Medical Center Parkway location could be good for the animal shelter,” she added.

Driggers noted that when the city purchased the property, it thought the area was properly zoned.

However, it later discovered that wasn’t the case.

“It appears that someone didn’t do their homework,” Barber said.

Barber said that if the city changed the zone for the animal shelter’s building, it should change it for the area at large.

He also noted that the shelter’s current facility is about 1,000 square feet and that the new facility is about 12,000 square feet.

“I think we need to get our perspective in place,” he added.

John Niblett, headmaster of Central Christian Academy, which sits across the street from the site, said his concerns included noise and appearance.

He suggested the shelter have a fence built around it.

“I think it would be an eyesore for our community and our visitors,” Niblett said.

Councilwoman Rita Sims Franklin suggested that the motion to approve the zoning change include a caveat, which would request that the zone return to an M2 designation if the shelter ever left the property.

The commission accepted the suggestion and approved the motion 5 to 2.a