Baldwin County Planning Commission Meeting – May 4, 2023
RSA Seeks to Re-Zone portion of Lakewood Golf Course
RSA (Retirement Systems of Alabama) is seeking to re-zone 7.2 acres of undeveloped land between the existing fairways of the Lakewood Golf Course.The property is located south of Battles Rd. and East of Scenic Hwy. 98 in Fairhope. Developers are seeking to re-zone the property from OR (Outdoor Recreation) to RSF-1 (Residential Single Family) for a proposed 6-lot custom residential subdivision.The Planning Commission was met with strong opposition from neighboring residents.There was also concern over the safety of the location from wayward golf balls, and safety of the roadway access.The plans called for saving all the live oaks on the site, with the removal of two pine trees.Any further removal of trees over 10” in diameter would require prior approval of the The Colony at The Grand.After much debate, the Planning Commission voted 4-3 to send a denial recommendation to the Baldwin County Commission.The Baldwin County Commission will be the final vote on the matter and consider the request at a later meeting date.
Aerials of proposed Lakewood site
Re-Zoning Sought for Fairhope Restaurant Parking Expansion
The Baldwin County Planning Commission voted to recommend the re-zoning of 1.5 acres from RSF-2 to B-2. The property is located at the northeast corner of Twin Beech Rd. and Hwy. 98, south of Fairhope. It is adjacent to and behind the Los Tacos restaurant. Plans include expanding the restaurant parking.
Denial Recommendation for Fairhope Re-Zoning
The Baldwin County Planning Commission heard a re-zoning request for property located east of Bishop Rd. and north of Gayfer Rd. Ext., in the Fairhope area. The 4.6-acre property, at 8611 Gayfer Rd. Ext., is currently vacant. A re-zoning request was sought to allow for commercial office-warehouse use of the property. The Planning Commission voted to send a denial recommendation to the County Commission citing that it was not compatible with the development pattern of that area.
109 Lots Approved for River Crest Estates
The Baldwin County Planning Commission voted to approve a PUD (Planned Unit Development) request for River Crest Estates.The 41-acre property is located on River Road N. approximately .5 miles south of County Road 12 S., in the Foley area.There are 109 residential lots planned for the development, with the smallest being 6,500 square feet and the largest being 11,073 square feet.Roadway improvements will include a westbound turn lane on County Road 12.A kayak launch is planned for the west side of the development which is adjacent to the Bon Secour River.
River Crest Estates
RV Park Approved Near MegaSite
The Baldwin County Planning Commission gave final site plan approval for Oak Ridge RV Park. The 116-site RV Park is planned for the north side of Bay Minette. The 19-acre parcel is located on the east side of Hwy. 287 (Rabun Rd.), north of Louis Cooper Rd. The Novelis plant under construction at the MegaSite is immediately to the north of this property.
103-Lot Subdivision Approved in Summerdale Area
Subdivision approval was granted by the Baldwin County Planning Commission for a 103-lot residential subdivision. The un-zoned 42.5-acre property is located on the south side of County Rd. 34, east of Ted Lysek Rd. and west of Davis Rd., just west of Summerdale. The future residential subdivision is to be named Mill Creek. This approval is for phase 1. Future phases are possible.
636-Lot Tealwood Subdivision Granted Approval
A massive 636-lot subdivision was approved for a site located on the north side of Underwood Rd. (County Rd 24), half a mile east of County Rd. 9 and Fish River, and west of County Rd. 49. The 284-acre site is currently un-zoned. There are a total of 7 phases planned. The smallest lot size will be 7,700 square feet, and the largest lot size will be 13,308 square feet. There is an election scheduled for 6-6-23 in this area to determine if the voters want to come into zoning. If the district votes to come into zoning, then future phases of this development would have to meet the new zoning requirements established for this district. Since the property is currently un-zoned developers only must meet the technical elements of the subdivision regulations. A prior subdivision application for this development was approved in August of 2022. At that time there were only 76 lots approved for 34 acres. That prior approval was withdrawn and replaced with the current plan after more land was acquired.
174 Lots Approved for Gaineswood Subdivision
The Baldwin County Planning Commission approved a subdivision request for Gaineswood Subdivision.The 71.8-acre property is located on the west side of Hwy. 181 between County Road 32 and County Road 24, south of Fairhope.There are 174 residential lots planned over 2 phases.The citizens of this area voted to implement zoning.The proposed Planning Dist. 39 is currently under a development moratorium.However, this development was submitted and accepted prior to the moratorium and was not subject to the current moratorium.
Gaineswood Subdivision
209-Lot Subdivision Approved for Elberta Area
The Baldwin County Planning Commission approved the Preliminary Plat for Autumn Lakes Subdivision. The 79-acre property is located on the east side of County Rd. 95, south of Kaiser Lane and just north of Hwy. 98 in the Elberta area. The property is zoned R-4. There are 209 residential lots planned for development by DR Horton. A right turn lane will be required on County Rd. 95.
Boat and RV Storage Planned for Loxley
Plans were approved for a new boat and RV storage facility west of Hwy. 59 and east of Rawls Rd. in the Loxley area. The 7.4-acre parcel is zoned B-3 and currently vacant. Plans include the construction of 8 boat and RV buildings and 2 dry storage units totaling 56,900 square feet.
Spanish Fort Planning Commission Meeting – May 8, 2023
Butcher Shop Approved for Spanish Fort
The Spanish Fort Planning Commission approved a land use application for a butcher shop to be located at 8495 Spanish Fort Blvd., Suite B. The business plans to sell pantry items and pre-cooked items. The Planning Commission voted to classify a butcher shop as a grocery store in the permitted table of land uses and approved the use for the B-2 zoned site.
Orange Beach City Council Meeting – May 16, 2023
Liberty Linens Seeks Expansion for Warehouse & Boat Storage
The Orange Beach City Council again approved the Conditional Use Permit for Liberty Linens. The property is located at 26953 Canal Rd. and zoned GB (General Business). They plan to construct a 6,400 square foot warehouse and a 3,600 square foot enclosed boat and RV storage building behind liberty Linens. A previous approval was granted in 2021 but expired without action.
Gulf Shores City Council Meeting – May 22, 2023
Vacation Rentals Sought in Waterway Village Overlay Dist.
The Gulf Shores Planning Commission gave approval for the Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Waterway Villas.The 4-unit development is located at 210 East 22nd Ave.The property is within the Waterway Overlay Dist. with underlying zoning of R-4.The Waterway Overlay Dist. was envisioned to be a second tourist destination to complement the Gulf-front beaches and be a walkable district.The existing fourplex, which was constructed in 1981, has undergone extensive renovation.Vacation rentals were desired by the developer which necessitated the CUP request since vacation rentals are only allowed in R-4 zoning with CUP approval.There will be two 1-bedroom units and two 2-bedroom units and a total of six gravel parking spaces for the rentals.
Waterway Villas Before and After
Fairhope City Council Meeting – May 22, 2023
Commercial Retail Center Coming to Hwy. 181 & 104.
The Fairhope City Council gave final approval to the Site Plan for the WAWA gas station and convenience store. The 2.7-acre property is located at the northeast corner of Hwy. 181 and Hwy. 104. The WAWA Convenience Store and Gas Station is planned for the corner lot. This is part of a larger 13-lot commercial retail center on a total of 35 acres. No plans were publicly disclosed for the remaining lots.
WAWA Rendering