Fairhope Planning Commission Meeting – July 7, 2022
Lone Oaks Subdivision Receives Approval by Slim Margin
The Fairhope Planning Commission again heard a request for Lone Oak Farms residential subdivision. The 57.7-acre property is located near the northeast corner of Pierce Road and County Road 32. The property is un-zoned and lies within the County, and within the Fairhope Planning jurisdiction. There are plans for an 82-lot residential subdivision to be built out by DR Horton. Questions over the sufficiency of the stormwater discharge and drainage infrastructure caused the planning commission to table the request at the June meeting. It came back at the July meeting for preliminary plat approval after the city had a 3rd party drainage review of the plans. The 3rd party review stated that while there were some concerns about sending stormwater that previously flowed in one basin to another basin post development, they acknowledged that the developer’s proposal was in compliance with the city codes and ordinances. The Planning Commission approved the preliminary plat by a 4-3 vote.
Baldwin County Planning Commission Meeting – July 7, 2022
Circle K Planned for Belforest Area
The Baldwin County Planning Commission approved the site plan for a new Circle K convenience store coming to the Belforest area. The future site is located at the northeast intersection of County Road 64 and Hwy. 181. The 7.7-acre site is zoned B-3. The existing building on the site will be demolished. The anticipated traffic pattern will not allow a left turn onto County Rd. 64.
Orange Beach Planning Commission Meeting – July 11, 2022
Cobblestone Hotel Coming to The Wharf
The Orange Beach Planning Commission approved a recommendation to the city council for a major PUD modification to allow the construction of the Cobblestone Hotel at The Wharf. The site is located at 23299 Wharf Lane (current site of the mini golf course). A 4-story, 63-room hotel is planned with a pool on the east side. The addition of Wissota Chophouse restaurant will be on the west.
Baldwin County Commission Meeting – July 19, 2022
Belforest Area Re-Zoning Approved
The Baldwin County Commission approved a re-zoning request for 54 acres located in the Belforest area, east of Hwy. 181 and near Rebel Rd. Truland Homes is proposing a 104-lot residential subdivision like the Waterford Subdivision to the south. Lot sizes would be 80’ wide x 140’ deep. The current zoning of the property is a combination of RSF-2 and RSF-E. The requested change will be RSF-3 zoning. The Planning Commission voted in May to send a denial recommendation to the County Commission based on their assessment of an incompatible zoning density with the surrounding area and increased traffic concerns for the existing infrastructure. The County Commission, which has the final vote in all re-zoning requests, approved the re-zoning as being a compatible use with surrounding residential developments. They pointed out that re-zoning only looks at compatibility with the surrounding uses in an area. A later subdivision application will consider other issues such as traffic, drainage, etc.
Belforest Development Proposal
Foley Planning Commission Meeting – July 20, 2022
Estate-Sized Lot Division Approved
The Foley Planning Commission approved a request for Magnolia Springs Station Phase 2. The plan consists of 18.04 acres divided into 6 lots. The property is located between Grantham Rd. and Poser Road and south of County Rd. 26. The total project has 16 lots planned in three phases. All lots would be considered estate lots with sizes ranging from 3 to 10 acres each.
Site Plan Approved for Foley Student Housing Project
The Foley Planning Commission approved the site plan for J1 worker housing. J1 worker status allows international college students to work in the United States through temporary work opportunities. Plans are underway to construct housing for the student workers. The proposed property is located east of Juniper St. and south of Stabler Way in Foley. There are eight buildings planned in phases 1 and 2. A total of 306 student workers could be housed in each building. The workforce is anticipated to work in local area hospitality businesses. A shuttle service would transport to worksites that are outside of walking or biking distance.
Fairhope City Council Meeting – July 25, 2022
Fairhope Apartments Receive Zoning and Annexation Approvals
The Fairhope City Council approved a request to zone and annex a 36-acre property located on the east side of Hwy. 181, across from The Waters Subdivision and south of the proposed Harvest Green Subdivision. Plans include a 252-unit apartment complex. There are 10 two-story buildings and 12 carriage houses planned. A north bound right turn lane and south bound left turn lane will be required for Hwy. 181 traffic. The un-zoned property lies within the county and in the Fairhope Planning Jurisdiction. This action by the City Council will zone the property B-2 and allow annexation into the city limits.
Site Plan Approved for Nichols Ave. & Ingleside Development
The Fairhope City Council granted site plan approval for a multiple occupancy, mixed use development to be located at 309 S. Ingleside. The 1.6-acre property is located at the northeast corner of S. Ingleside and Nichols Ave., within the Medical Overlay District. The property currently has a historic home on the site. Plans include demolition of the home. There have been agreements between the developer and community stakeholders to incorporate a historical marker or other remembrance item on the property to commemorate its historical significance. The future development will be a mixture of eight townhomes and four mixed-use buildings which will house retail or office on the lower level with residential on top. One restaurant space is planned.
Orange Beach City Council Meeting – July 26, 2022
Signage Approved for CoastAL Development
The Orange Beach City Council approved a minor amendment to the CoastAL PUD Master Plan to establish signage for freestanding signs along Perdido Beach Blvd. The approved plan will allow three free-standing signs along Perdido Beach Blvd. for the beachfront development which is currently under construction at 25722 Perdido Beach Blvd. The west sign will be a one-sided sign located on the western edge of the development near the resident parking area and will have the city logo. The main entrance sign will be double sided and located at the main entrance. It will have the CoastAL logo and a space for digital messages. The east sign will be one-sided and located on the eastern edge near the landmark tower and will display digital messages.
Sign Renderings
Gulf Shores Planning Commission Meeting – July 26, 2022
Sunset Point Receives Final Plat Approval
The Gulf Shores Planning Commission approved the final plat for Sunset Point. The approval will allow the subdivision of 1.26 acres into four separate lots. The property is located at the end of Sunrise Dr. where the existing road dead ends. The lots will have frontage on Little Lagoon. The property is zoned R-2 and short-term rentals will not be allowed.
Advance Auto Parts Coming to Gulf Shores
The Gulf Shores Planning Commission approved the site plan for Advance Auto Parts. The business will be located on lot 5 of the Colonial Properties Commercial Park along the Hwy. 59 corridor, near Longhorn Steakhouse and west of Dairy Queen and Books a Million. There is a single story 6,889 square foot retail space planned with 13 parking spaces.
Amendments Proposed for Architectural Review in Gulf Shores
The City of Gulf Shores is considering amendments to the zoning districts for townhomes and multi-family projects. In February of this year the city enacted a temporary moratorium on accepting site plan applications for multi-family and townhome projects. The moratorium was enacted over concerns that new multi-family and townhome developments were not living up to what was envisioned by the community, the large amounts of undeveloped acreage that is currently zoned for multi-family and townhomes, and the lack of any zoning ordinance requirements for analyzing the impacts of proposed developments of city infrastructure. Proposed amendments for multi-family and townhome developments include requiring a range of functional open space and recreational areas, providing a range of housing types, prohibiting vinyl siding, requiring sidewalks to connect from residential units to public sidewalks, a minimum 18” building elevation from grade, garage requirement for townhomes, added architectural regulations, and an impact study with mitigation plan to address traffic and public utilities. The Planning Commission voted to send a favorable recommendation to the city council for the zoning amendments. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed amendments at the 8-22-22 council meeting at 4:00 p.m.
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