Local Government Update - August 2026
Daphne City Council Meeting – August 3, 2026
County Road 54 Pre-Zoning and Annexation Approved
The Daphne City Council approved the pre-zoning and annexation of property located northeast of the intersection of County Road 54 and Centipede Drive. The applicant sought to establish R-6-G Garden Home Residential zoning, which will allow a detached single-family residential development similar to adjacent portions of The Reserve at Daphne. A conceptual layout illustrates approximately 69 detached garden homes, although staff emphasized the plan is illustrative only and the final lot count will be determined during the subdivision review process after infrastructure and engineering requirements are addressed.
Rezoning Request on Randall Avenue Denied
The Daphne Council voted to deny a rezoning request for property located at 805 Randall Avenue near the intersection of Randall Avenue and Main Street, within the Old Town Overlay District. The request sought to rezone from R-2 Medium Density Single-Family Residential to B-3 Professional Business. The applicant stated an intent is to redevelop the existing residence into a professional office building that would complement nearby commercial properties while supporting continued investment in Old Town Daphne. Area residents raised concerns that the rezoning would introduce commercial uses into an established residential neighborhood, reduce surrounding property values, increase traffic, and establish a precedent for additional commercial encroachment along Randall Avenue.
Fairhope Planning Commission Meeting – August 3, 2026
Murphy USA Site Plan Recommended for Approval
The Fairhope Planning Commission recommended approval of a Murphy USA convenience store and fuel station within the Shoppes at Point Clear development near the Publix at Greeno Road and County Road 34. The property is zoned B-2 General Business, and the Board of Adjustment previously approved the automobile service station use through a special exception.
Planning staff identified several issues involving pedestrian connectivity, utilities, and driveway placement. The applicant agreed to extend the sidewalk along the property frontage, resolve conflicts between proposed driveways and underground utilities, and continue working toward a shared driveway with the adjoining property to the south. The Commission recommended approval subject to the shared access agreement and limiting the adjoining lot to one driveway onto Wright Boulevard. The recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final consideration.
Windrow Phase 2 Annexation and R-1 Zoning Recommended
The Fairhope Planning Commission recommended approval of a conditional annexation and R-1 zoning for approximately 20 acres south of Twin Beech Road. The property is intended to become the second phase of the Windrow subdivision and is currently located in unincorporated Baldwin County. The application references 28 proposed single-family lots, although commissioners emphasized that no subdivision plan was under consideration at this stage. Any future development will require a separate subdivision application and must comply with the City's R-1 requirements, including a minimum lot size of 15,000 square feet.
Building Height Amendment Returned to Staff
The Fairhope Planning Commission reviewed proposed amendments to the City's building height regulations but voted to table the proposal and return it to staff for additional work. The draft would replace the current method of measuring height from the average natural elevation of the entire lot with a measurement from existing grade beneath the building to the highest point of the roof or parapet.
Architects, builders, and developers argued that the proposed definition would be overly restrictive on sloping lots and could prevent construction of many conventional one- and two-story homes. Speakers presented examples showing how the proposed limits could reduce roof pitches, restrict attic and mechanical space, complicate construction on flood-prone properties, and prevent replication of existing homes and commercial buildings. Several recommended using a fixed measurement from finished grade at the front of the building to the mean height between the eave and roof ridge. Staff acknowledged that the proposal requires additional analysis and requested further technical recommendations from local design professionals.
Open-Air and Pool Enclosure Regulations Discussed
The Fairhope Planning Commission held an informal discussion regarding how open-air structures, including pool enclosures, pergolas, arbors, and covered patios, should be treated under the zoning ordinance. Under the current definition, structures extending vertically from the ground may be subject to principal or accessory building setbacks.
Commissioners discussed whether attaching a screened pool enclosure to a residence should require the entire enclosure and pool to remain within principal building setbacks. Concerns included neighborhood impacts, stormwater runoff, visibility, pool safety, and the relationship between these structures and future impervious surface limits. Staff was directed to review how other municipalities regulate pool enclosures and similar open-air structures before proposing amendments.
Orange Beach City Council Meeting – August 4, 2026
Columbia Southern University PUD Modification Approved
The Orange Beach City Council approved a minor amendment to the Columbia Southern University Planned Unit Development (PUD) allowing installation of a new freestanding digital monument sign along the Foley Beach Express. The replacement sign will increase in size from the existing sign and include improved digital display technology, requiring deviations from the City's current sign ordinance for both sign area and height. The proposed sign will contain approximately 149 square feet per sign face, 298 square feet total, and have a maximum height of 20 feet. City planning staff noted the university's campus is located a considerable distance from the expressway, making the existing sign difficult to see.
Baldwin County Planning Commission Meeting – August 6, 2026
Draft Baldwin County Master Plan Withdrawn for Additional Review
The Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission withdrew the proposed 2026 Baldwin County Master Plan from consideration following extensive public comments and requests for additional review by municipalities, agricultural landowners, developers, and other stakeholders. Commission members emphasized that the plan will return for consideration following additional public involvement and revisions, although no timetable was established. Another public hearing will be held before the Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the County Commission.
Much of the discussion focused on proposed farmland preservation areas shown on the Future Land Use Map. Farmers and other property owners argued that the designation could ultimately restrict development opportunities and reduce property values, particularly where agricultural property is located near existing subdivisions, highways, sewer and water infrastructure. Several farmers noted that land frequently serves as collateral for agricultural operating loans or as a retirement asset and expressed concern that future regulations based on the plan could adversely affect financing and land values. Others questioned why particular agricultural properties were selected for preservation and urged the County to consider voluntary conservation programs rather than future development restrictions.
Municipal coordination was also identified as a significant concern. Commission members reported that nearly all Baldwin County municipalities had requested additional input into the plan. Speakers recommended greater coordination with municipalities, utility providers, the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization, agricultural interests, developers, real estate professionals, financial institutions and environmental organizations. Commissioners generally agreed that a broader stakeholder process is needed before the plan returns for consideration.
Fairhope City Council Meeting – August 10, 2026
Murphy Oil Site Plan Approved at Highways 181 and 104
The Fairhope City Council approved a site plan for a new Murphy Oil USA gas station and convenience store on approximately 1.18 acres at the northwest corner of State Highway 181 and State Highway 104. The property is located within the Planters Pointe Publix shopping center. The property was conditionally annexed into Fairhope in December 2021, and the final multiple occupancy project plat was approved in December 2023. The Board of Adjustment approved a special exception in April to allow an automobile service station on the property, a use permitted in the B-2 district only with special exception approval. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the site plan in July.
Spanish Fort City Council Meeting – August 17, 2026
Infirmary Health Project at Former Kohl’s Building Moves Forward
The Spanish Fort City Council approved a resolution supporting the issuance of tax-exempt revenue bonds by the Infirmary Health Systems Special Care Facilities Financing Authority of Mobile. The overall bond issue is approximately $136 million, with up to $125 million intended to refinance existing debt and additional proceeds available for capital improvement projects within the Infirmary Health system. One of the projects specifically identified is the renovation and build-out of the former Kohl’s building at Spanish Fort Town Center.
The City’s approval was required because a portion of the bond proceeds will be used for improvements within Spanish Fort. Spanish Fort will have no financial responsibility for repayment of the bonds, and the debt will not count against the City’s constitutional debt limit. The proposal represents an adaptive reuse of a large former retail space at Spanish Fort Town Center for medical-related purposes.
Orange Beach City Council Meeting – August 18, 2026
Margaritaville Amenity District PUD Approved
The City Council approved preliminary and final Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning for approximately 7.8 acres within the Margaritaville Resort at The Wharf Landing. The property was rezoned from General Business to PUD to accommodate resort-specific signage for the previously approved amenity district. The amendment does not change the site plan, building layout or uses approved in August 2025.
The amenity district includes four buildings consisting of the Fins Restaurant and Bar, Salty Rim Pool Bar, restrooms, locker rooms and equipment facilities. Other amenities include a water slide tower, lazy river, children's pool, dry playground, and stage and event area.
The primary purpose of the PUD is to allow Margaritaville-branded signage that does not comply with the City's standard sign ordinance. Requested deviations include restaurant wall signage of approximately 225 square feet compared with the City's 125-square-foot limit; roof-mounted signage that would otherwise be prohibited; signage approximately 50 to 55 feet high on the water slide tower compared with the City's 15-foot freestanding sign limit; a wider-than-permitted sign on the tower; and a roof-mounted electronic video screen at the pool bar. Staff explained that the unique resort signage was originally expected to require Board of Adjustment variances, but the addition of signage on the water slide tower led staff to recommend addressing the deviations through a PUD. The Council approved the PUD, with Mayor Tony Kennon abstaining.
Bear Point Stormwater Master Plan Identifies Approximately $5 Million in Priority Improvements
Thompson Engineering presented the results of an approximately 18-month drainage study and Stormwater Master Plan for the Orange Beach Bear Point community. Engineers surveyed hundreds of inlets and manholes, pump stations, several miles of culverts and underground drainage infrastructure and used aerial LIDAR and hydraulic and hydrologic modeling to evaluate existing and future flood risks. The analysis considered rainfall, topography, soils, land use, impervious surfaces, future development and future climate hazards. Community reports of flooding were also incorporated into the analysis.
Recommended improvements include upgrades to primary outfalls and existing pump stations, a new pump station, detention facilities, drainage pipelines, new channels and flow diversions, ditch improvements, and green infrastructure and low-impact development measures. Engineers identified approximately $5 million in priority improvements for possible design and implementation. A proposed new pump station would be located near Bayshore Drive and Bay La Launch, while a proposed underground drainage system generally paralleling Suarez Drive could redirect water toward the canal west of the neighborhood. Potential detention areas could require use of currently vacant properties.
The study is particularly relevant to Bear Point real estate because it evaluates neighborhood flood risk, existing drainage deficiencies, future development conditions and possible acquisition or use of vacant property for stormwater detention. Orange Beach Council members requested a more detailed workshop to identify the highest-priority improvements and determine the appropriate sequence for future projects.
Daphne Planning Commission Meeting – August 27, 2026
Fortuna Hotel Site Plan Approved
The Daphne Planning Commission approved the site plan for the Fortuna Hotel, a proposed 70-room hotel with an in-house restaurant in the Olde Towne Daphne District. The approximately two-acre property is zoned B-2 and is located northeast of the intersection of Main Street and Daphne Avenue. The site plan includes 81 parking spaces to serve the hotel and restaurant.
12-Lot Paradiso Approved
The Daphne Planning Commission approved the preliminary plat for Paradiso, a 12-lot subdivision. The property is located southwest of Main Street and Jackson Oak Drive. The R-2 zoned property is approximately 12 acres. An upscale development is planned with custom-built homes. The Planning Commission encouraged saving as many trees as possible on the site, which contains some mature trees.
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