New construction is booming in order to meet the demands of the more than 230,000 residents that now call Baldwin County home. Each month Baldwin REALTORS® creates a report from local government meetings to highlight what new developments are in the works in Baldwin County. Below is a brief list of the plans addressed in December 2021. 

Fairhope

• Developers for the Monarch Hotel at the corner of Bayview Avenue and Fairhope Avenue are being asked to redesign the project for future submittal after issues with parking arose in the current plan.
• An amendment to the PUD for Montrose Preserve, a 50-acre property located west of Highway 98 generally across from the Rock Creek Subdivision, was recommended for approval to decrease the number of planned lots from a previous approval from 77 to 18.
• The Fairhope Planning Commission voted to recommend for a zoning to R-2 for the planned residential subdivision named Green Fields, located east of County Road 13 and south of County Road 34. The subdivision could hold up to 80 lots.
• Fairhope is considering allowing rooftop terraces in its central business district. The proposal was tabled for further review and revisions.
• The Fairhope City Council unanimously voted to enact a 12-month moratorium on new subdivisions and multiple occupancy projects outside of the city limits, but within the city's planning jurisdiction.

Foley

• The City of Foley is planning to purchase two lots totaling 80 acres east of Roscoe Road and south of County Road 12S for the expansion of the Graham Creek Nature Reserve.
• The Foley Planning Commission voted to recommend amendments to the zoning ordinance in order to allow accessory dwelling units by right, including allowing for kitchen facilities. Other recommended changes include the removal of the GPH-1 (Residential Garden Patio Homes) zoning classification, allowing joint commercial and residential use in B-3 zoning and increasing common open space requirements for townhome developments.

Orange Beach

• The Orange Beach Planning Commission voted to deny a request to rezone several lots in the Terry Cove Subdivision, currently zoned RS-1, to be included in the Orange Beach Marina PUD Master Plan for the construction of additional parking, boat/trailer storage and a retail storage building.
• The property located at 4251 Orange Beach Boulevard received a favorable recommendation to be rezoned from NB (Neighborhood Business) to PUD (Planned Unit Development). Cactus Cantina plans to open a dine-in restaurant on the property.
• The Orange Beach City Council did not pass a request from the owners of Zekes Marina to modify the PUD (Planned Unit Development) in order to allow fuel tanks to be installed on the premise as well as to allow the easternmost pier on a recently rezoned 1.6 acres of property to have slips for staging dry boat storage and transient boat traffic.

Gulf Shores

• The Gulf Shores City Council gave final approval for a 3 percent increase to the city's lodging tax to be phased in over a two-year period.
• The Gulf Shores Planning Commission voted to favorably recommend the Venetian Isles Condos, located off Gulf Shores Parkway on the south side of West 6th Avenue, be rezoned from R-2 to R-4 in order to be compliant with current regulations.
• The Gulf Shores Planning Commission staff outlined changes they're recommending to the city's subdivision regulations to modify the setback notation requirements on a plat and remove the requirement that the setback lines be shown an a preliminary plat in order to prevent an inaccurate plat if the zoning changes on the property, amongst other related changes.

County

• The Baldwin County Planning Commission voted to deny a request to rezone 40 acres located on the south side of County Road 16 and east of Magnolia Springs Highway from RA to RSF-4 in order to build a 120-lot residential subdivision.
• Property located at 16390 Scenic Highway 98 received a favorable rezoning recommendation in order to bring the historic property into current compliance. Currently three homes are located on the 4.4 acres, but that is non-compliant with regulations that only allow for one dwelling unit plus one accessory dwelling unit per lot.
• The preliminary Plat for Sliver Lakes Phase II, a 14-lot residential subdivision off Enchantment Lane and west of West Boulevard in the Silverhill area, was approved by the Baldwin County Planning Commission.
• The Baldwin County Commission gave final approval for the rezoning of 5 acres on the north side of Brinks Willis Road for a planned 65-lot RV resort development.

For details, visit BR's full report here.