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 January 2021. 

Fairhope

• The Fairhope Planning Commission again voted to approve the preliminary plat for The Riverhorse Subdivision, a 25-lot residential subdivision on 22 acres a quarter mile north of Gayfer Avenue on the east side of Blueberry Lane and north of North Station Subdivision. The plat was originally approved in 2019, but when construction began, the city could not confirm the required notices being sent to adjacent property owners at the time of the original approval so the request was re-heard.

Foley

• The Foley Planning Commission approved the site plan for Element Townhomes, a 420-unit residential attached townhome development located south of County Road 20 and east of Highway 59.
• Preliminary approval was granted by the Commission for Outpost Orchard, a 247 lot development located south of East Michigan Avenue and West of Pecan St.
• The site plan was approve for West Laurel Apartments, a 21-unit development located north of Highway 98 and east of North Beech Street, by the Commission.
• The Commission approved the site plan for a 25-unit attached residential complex zoned B-1-A at the northwest corner of South Cypress Street and South Commercial Drive.

Daphne

• The Daphne City Council gave final approval to rezone a 1.68-acre property located southeast of Equity Drive and County Road 64 to B-2 from B-1 in order to accommodate a quartz countertop business and showroom.
• The Daphne Planning Commission voted to recommend the rezoning of property located southeast of the intersection of Whispering Pines Road and Highway 98 from B-1 Local Business to B-2 General Business for the development fo a U-Haul enclosed self-storage facility with a truck and trailer rental component.

Spanish Fort

• Spanish Fort has adopted a new sign ordinance, replacing a version that was over 20 years old. The full version of the ordinance is available here.

Orange Beach

• The Orange Beach City Council approved minor request to the Wharf's PUD Master Plan in order to allow the use of onsite food trucks on a case-by-case basis and to convert Orange Beach Fire Department Station #5 at 4550 Main St. into the Wharf Management office. They rejected the Wharf's request to operate a helicopter tour business from a current helipad location on Wharf Parkway West and Wharf Lane.
• The Orange Beach Planning Commission gave their recommendation to rezone 24241 Perdido Beach Blvd., between Doc's and Live Bait, from General Business to Planned Unit Development for the development of a 120-room hotel on the property operated by Springhill Suites by Marriot.

Gulf Shores

• Island Villas, located at 325 E. 22nd Ave., received final approval for a Conditional Use Permit to allow short-term rentals from the City Council. The site has an existing 16-unit multifamily complex with improvements planned.
• The Gulf Shores Planning Commission recommended approval of site plan and conditional use permits at 112 West Beach Blvd., the site for the Embassy Suites mixed-use development. The eight-story hotel will house 247 rooms.
• The site plan for Sandpiper Cottages, a 5-lot cottage residential development at 1476 Sandpiper Lane, was approved by the Commission.
• The 24,496-square-foot Publix store planned at the current Winn Dixie store at 1720 Gulf Shores Parkway received site plan approval from the Commission.

County

• The Baldwin County Planning Commission voted to deny a rezoning request for The Mill at Spanish Fort, a 37-acre property on the east side of Stagecoach Road near Spanish Fort High School. Plans for the property include rezoning in order to allow a new multi-family townhome apartment complex similar to Toro Ridge.
• The PUD site plan for River Gardens RV Park, an 11.4-acre property on the north side of County Road 48 and east of Highway 181 between Fairhope and Silverhill, was approved by the Commission.

For details, visit BR's full report here.