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 June 2022. 

Fairhope

• The Fairhope City Council approved zoning amendments to B-3a and B-3b districts to restrict a hotel/motel or bed and breakfast use by only allowing on appeal to the Board of Adjustments and under special conditions. Currently a hotel/motel use is allowed by right in B-3a and B-3b zoning and a bed and breakfast is allowed by right in B-3b. 
• The Fairhope City Council approved a six-month extension to the site plan for a mixed-use project planned for 301 Magnolia Avenue.  A 2-story building with 7 residential units and 3 commercial units is planned.
• The Fairhope City Council gave final approval to the site plan for Alpha Care, a single unit medical/dental/health office development.  The site is 1.1 acres on the east side of Greeno Road, south of Gayfer Avenue.  
• The Fairhope Planning Commission heard a request for conditional annexation and zoning for 34 acres located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Highway 181 and Highway 104. No plans were publicly disclosed for the parcel.
• A request for Lone Oak Farms' preliminary plat approval was tabled by the Planning Commission after questions over the sufficiency of the stormwater discharge and drainage infrastructure arose. The 57.5-acre residential subdivision is located near the northeast corner of Pierce Road and County Road 32.  

Daphne

• The Daphne City Council gave final approval for the rezoning of a 4.13-acre property located southeast of the intersection of Whispering Pines Road and Highway 98, currently zoned B-1, Local Business. The new zoning will be B-2A to facilitate the development of a U-Haul enclosed self-storage facility with a truck and trailer rental component. 
• The Daphne Planning Commission approved a site plan request from Haley's Little Fish, LLC to construct a swimming club facility.  The .62-acre property is located southwest of the intersection of Pollard Rd. and American Way.
• The Daphne Planning Commission heard a presentation from city staff about proposed amendments to the Land Use and Development Ordinance.  The changes being considered include the following:
  • Reduce the number of parking spaces required for senior living developments.
  • Increase the number of parking spaces required for townhome developments.
  • Establish density requirements for mixed-use commercial developments.
  • Restrict mini warehouses to commercial industrial (CI) zoning districts.
  • Allowance for off-site commercial parking lots with conditions.
  • Require build-to-rent developments use a PUD (planned unit development)
  • Retaining walls over 4' in height must be stamped by a professional engineer.

Spanish Fort

• The Spanish Fort Planning Commission conditionally approved a request from Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home to an additional location at 6470-B U.S. Highway 90. The site may only be used for a small funeral chapel seating no more than 30 people. It can only be used for private viewings for small family groups. No body preparation or storage will take place on site, and no funeral processions will be allowed.  
• The Spanish Fort Planning Commission gave initial approval for the land use application for Alpha Care, a 3,000 square foot urgent care facility planned for lot 2 of the Baldwin Bone and Joint Subdivision on Eastern Shore Boulevard. 

Gulf Shores

• The Gulf Shores City Council gave final approval to a request for a conditional use permit to construct a private overflow parking lot to be located at 19826 W. 36^th Avenue. The .9-acre property is located in the northwest part of the city and zoned BA. 

Orange Beach

• The Orange Beach Planning Commission granted site plan approval for the Solis Condominium Project, a 24-story condominium project containing 132 units located beachside at 25802 Perdido Beach Boulevard, east of Summerchase Condominiums and west of the Cotton Bayou public beach access. Plans call for a mixture of 2, 3- ,4-, and 5-bedroom units.  A parking garage will encompass the first five floors, with 19 residential floors above.  A total of 351 parking spaces will be provided. 
• The Orange Beach Planning Commission approved the resubdivsion of 27.5 acres at the end of Oak Ridge Drive West, west and northwest of Oak Ridge subdivision Unit 2. No plans were publicly disclosed for the property.

County

• The Baldwin County Commission granted rezoning approval for 39 acres located on the west side of Highway 59 and south of Thompson Road.  The rezoning was sought for the purpose of developing a future residential subdivision which would be consistent with the other developments in the immediate area.  
• The Baldwin County Planning Commission gave site plan approval for Empire Construction to add a 3,750 square foot office building for their concrete business on the south side of Wells Road and Consolidated Fence Co. to add a 1,000 square foot addition to an existing building on a 1.5-acre on the south side of Milton Jones Road, west of Highway 181.
• The Planning Commission approved the site plan the Ecovery business located east of Railroad Avenue and south of Black Devine Road, in the Loxley area. The expansion will include building two new warehouses.
• Cottonwood Estates, a future 84-lot residential subdivision on a 38-acre property located northwest of the intersection of County Road 33 and Champion Road, received preliminary subdivision plat approval from the Planning Commission.

For details, visit BR's full report here.