After about 50 years, thousands of community meetings and two attempts to pass new regulations, the city of Mobile officially has new zoning rules.

With the approval of three amendments at the Mobile City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 17, a safe zone to protect Africatown residents from encroaching industry remains the only sticking point between the city and an updated batch of zoning regulations.

Overlay districts, which would create special zoning rules for two neighborhoods in the city, were the biggest sources of debate during a more than two hour discussion of the proposed Unified Development Code Tuesday afternoon for a Mobile City Council committee Tuesday afternoon.

A clash between Mobile's energy storage tank community and environmental interests is expected to play out in the coming weeks over a proposed city ordinance regulating the storage of oil and other commodities within the Port of Mobile.

Both Mobile Baykeeper Casi Callaway and Steve Gordon, president of Keep Mobile Growing, said they were pleased – a show of unity amidst what has been at times a controversial issue.

With 50 minutes to spare, a subcommittee of the Mobile Planning Commission wrapped up another meeting Tuesday held to allow public comment on regulating above-ground oil storage tanks in the city.

Changes to zoning requirements for above-ground oil storage tanks could either protect a historic Mobile neighborhood, or could negatively prohibit industrial opportunities in and around the port.

Mobile Area Chamber Releases Deravi Study ‘Economic Impact of Energy Industry on Mobile’s Economy’.  Petroleum Storage Industry cited as key component of our $4-5 billion energy sector and critical to Port of Mobile’s designation as Energy Transfer Port. Petroleum Storage Facilities in Mobile provide $680 million and 5002 jobs annually.

The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce presented Tuesday the findings of an independent study estimating the annual economic impact of the region's energy sector hovers between $4 billion and $5 billion.