Council clears way for Griswold Street townhouses

SELMA — A developer can build townhomes on the site of the town’s long-closed swimming pool.

The Selma Town Council said yes to the rezoning request during its meeting last week.

But after a change of heart, developer Homes by Michael Ford LLC won’t build townhouses on another spot, at 801 Second Ave.

“We don’t want to do townhomes there now,” Debbie Howard said on behalf of the developer. “We want to be good neighbors for the people who are there now, and they have … let it be known they’d rather have single-family dwelling houses.”

So in place of townhomes, the developer plans three single-family homes on the half-acre lot.

“I know 50-by-150 are substandard lots,” Howard said, referring to the width and depth, in feet, of the proposed lots. “But we have probably a hundred of those sitting around in the town of Selma.”

“We can definitely meet the setbacks the town of Selma requires — front, back, sides,” she added.

The developer will build a quality product, Howard said of the single-family houses. “I have a picture, if y’all would like to see, of the houses we built down at Lizzie Street and Mitchner Drive, beautiful homes,” she said, adding, “All sold in 24 hours at really great prices.”

Over on Griswold Street, the lot that’s home to the former public pool is 1.2 acres, and Selma allows townhouses only on lots of four or more acres.

But no one told the developer that when he bought the pool in December 2022, Howard said. To the contrary, the town’s planning director at the time welcomed townhouses on the lot, she said.

Alsey Gilbert, a surveyor for the developer, said townhouses best suited the lot on Griswold. “It has a unique shape in that there’s a road coming in on the southern end and then a road going out the northern end,” he said.

Howard agreed. “Townhomes would set up beautifully on that property with an entrance, exit, and the fire department could have easy access in and out,” she said.

A unanimous council granted the request.

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