Local Government Update - October 2025
- Baldwin REALTORS
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Baldwin County Planning Commission Meeting – October 2, 2025
Plat Approved for over 2,700 Acres
The Baldwin County Planning Commission approved the preliminary plat for a large-acre subdivision covering over 2,700 acres. The un-zoned property covers four square miles and is located east of County Rd. 87 and north of Interstate 10. The property is currently used as a timber operation in north Baldwin County. The division will create 112 large acre lots of at least 20 acres each. The lots will be serviced by private wells and septic systems. The project includes 14 proposed wetland crossings, impacting about 8 acres which will require future U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting.
Cell Tower Coming to Silverhill
A new cell tower has been approved by the Baldwin County Planning Commission for a 30-acre property near Silverhill, south of County Rd. 48 and east of Blueberry Lane. The 260-foot self-supporting telecommunications tower will occupy 6,400 square feet within the site, which is zoned RA.
Site Plan Approved for Elberta Traveler’s Food Mart
The Baldwin County Commission approved the site plan for Traveler’s Food Mart. The 4,905 square foot auto convenience store is planned for the intersection of Hwy. 98 and County Rd. 95 in the Elberta area. The 3-acre property is zoned B-1 and is surrounded by agricultural and commercial uses.
Fairhope Planning Commission Meeting – October 6, 2025
Wendy’s Coming to Northeast Fairhope Development
The Fairhope Planning Commission approved the site plan for Wendy’s restaurant. The 1.07-acre site is located at Rockwell Place on the northeast side of the intersection of Hwy. 104 and Hwy. 181. The property is zoned B-2.
Conditional Annexation and Zoning Recommended for Hilltop North
The Fairhope Planning Commission recommended approval of the conditional annexation and zoning of approximately 14 acres known as Hilltop North. The undeveloped site is in the County off Twin Beech Rd, just north of the existing Hilltop neighborhood. The annexation request would bring the property into the City of Fairhope with R-1 zoning. The property contains an existing telecommunications tower, which will become a legal non-conforming use.
The Colony Seeks Review of 432 Unit Development
The Fairhope Planning Commission conducted an informal review for The Colony, a proposed 148-acre mixed residential development located east of the intersection of Highway 181 and Highway 104, directly across from The Verandas estate lot subdivision. The purpose of the informal review was to gather feedback from the Planning Commission and the public; no formal action was taken. The conceptual design showed a model for mixed-income, walkable neighborhoods that provide diverse housing options, various housing types and extensive green spaces. The plan calls for 432 units through a variety of housing types including townhomes, cottage lots, manor homes, and estate lots. The site contains a large wetland corridor, identified as a branch of the Pensacola watershed, that traverses the property north to south. The plan preserves roughly 51 acres (one-third of the total site) as open or green space, including wetlands, a large central greenway, pocket parks, and a 3-acre “Colony Park” in the northeast corner for active recreation. Public comments reflected concern over the density, traffic congestions and school overcrowding. There would be a potential connection to the adjoining commercial development to the west and a pedestrian connection to the Catholic school to the northeast. Level Homes is the proposed builder. No action was taken on the agenda item.
Spanish Fort City Council Meeting – October 6, 2025
Spanish Fort Touts Success of 3-Mill Property Tax
The Spanish Fort City Council heard a presentation highlighting the city’s 3-Mill property tax, a voter-approved local tax dedicated to enhancing education within the city’s feeder pattern schools. The revenues directly fund educational programs and staff by providing additional instructional support positions and individualized help to struggling students. Recent testing data showed measurable improvements in student performance. The tax revenue has also been used to expand enrichment and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs. The tax revenues are credited for enabling significant improvements in academic quality and student opportunities. All schools in the Spanish Fort feeder pattern currently hold a “A” rating from the Alabama State Department of Education. Council members credited the tax as a transformative investment in local education.
Orange Beach Planning Commission Meeting – October 13, 2025
Modification Request Denied for Jones Duplexes
The Orange Beach Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of a PUD modification to the Jones Duplexes PUD Master Plan. The modification sought to re-zone 7.9 acres from single-family residential (RS-1) to PUD for inclusion into the Jones Duplexes PUD Master Plan and amend the development into a residential development containing 18 single-family houses and 10 duplexes. The original approval in 2023 only called for 3 single-family houses and 2 duplexes. The requested modification would have increased the total units from 7 to 38. The property is in the 26000 block of Perdido Beach Blvd.
Fairhope City Council Meeting – October 13, 2025
Rock Creek Commercial Site Plan Approved
The Fairhope City Council granted approval for the Rock Creek Commercial site plan, located on approximately 2.23 acres east of U.S. 98 on Rock Creek Parkway. The property, zoned Planned Unit Development (PUD), was originally approved in the 1990s and has undergone several re-subdivisions since that time. The site adjoins the existing bank building at the main entrance to Rock Creek and will consolidate two currently platted parcels into a single lot as a condition of approval.
Plans call for a 20,000-square-foot, two-story commercial structure containing four tenant spaces, three ground-floor retail or office units and one 10,000-square-foot second-floor space. The design features brick façades with upper-level balconies, and the building’s topography will allow parking beneath the structure. A wetland area in the northeast portion of the site will remain undisturbed, with the applicant required to post wetland buffer signage along the delineated buffer line. Pedestrian connectivity will be provided via a bridge or stairway from Rock Creek Parkway to the development. No new curb cuts are proposed; access will occur through the existing shared drive used by the adjacent bank.
Spanish Fort Planning Commission Meeting – October 13, 2025
Massive Development Planned for Spanish Fort
The Spanish Fort Planning Commission heard an extensive proposal for the Longleaf development, a 1,654-acre master-planned community located along White House Fork Road Extension and Alabama Highway 225. The request sought approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) master plan and pre-zoning in conjunction with annexation into the city limits. The plan outlines 1,015 total housing units across 702 lots to be developed over the next 10 to 15 years. The project will combine low, medium, and higher-density single-family homes within R-1 through R-3D zoning equivalents. It will also feature an 18-hole professional golf course and a 400-acre animal sanctuary that includes a wellness center, teaching kitchen, and gardens promoting plant-based education. The developers stated they have owned the property since 2005 and resumed development after completing about half of the golf course prior to the 2009 recession. They plan to open the golf course to the public in early 2026 and focus initial construction on approximately 400 homes near the course and sanctuary.
Baldwin County Commission Meeting – October 21, 2025
Elberta Property Re-Zoning Approved
The Baldwin County Commission approved a request to re-zone 18.44 acres from RA (Rural Agricultural) to RSF-1 (Single Family Residential). The property is located south of Mifflin Road and west of Wilson Road in the Elberta community. The applicant sought the zoning change to allow a future residential development with lot sizes between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet. Staff recommended approval, finding the request consistent with the zoning ordinance and partially consistent with the future land use map. Plans call for shared driveways to reduce traffic and incorporate low-impact development techniques.
Re-Zoning Approved for 30 Acres Near Fairhope
The Baldwin County Commission approved the re-zoning of a 30-acre parcel from BCZ (Baldwin County Community Zoning) to RSF-1(Single-Family Residential). The property is located north of County Rd. 34 and east of Greeno Rd., near Fairhope. No immediate plans were disclosed for the property.
Gulf Shores Planning Commission Meeting – October 21, 2025
Alamo Circle Flex Building Site Plan Approved
The Planning Commission approved the site plan for three office warehouse buildings and one professional office building located on Alamo Circle. The 8.5-acre site, zoned BG (General Business), is situated north of County Road 10 East at the northern boundary of the city limits. Each of the four one-story buildings will be 2,600 square feet, with 42 parking spaces provided—exceeding the minimum requirement of 33. The site includes two protected and two heritage trees, all of which will be preserved and credited toward landscaping requirements. Stormwater will be managed on-site through multiple detention ponds.
Rayley Farms Phases 5 and 6 Preliminary Plat Approved
A preliminary subdivision plat was approved for Rayley Farms Phases 5 and 6, the final phases of the 162-acre subdivision located north of Coastal Gateway Boulevard. The 23-acre addition will include 51 single-family lots—50 in Phase 5 and one in Phase 6—zoned conditional R-1-5. The average density will be 2.2 dwelling units per acre, with minimum lot sizes of 8,400 square feet and widths of 65 feet. This phase preserves four acres of wetlands and 20 heritage trees and designates 31% of the site as open space. Amenities will include pickleball courts and expanded walking trails connecting to existing lakes and common areas.
Edwin Oaks Subdivision Approved
The Commission granted preliminary plat approval for Edwin Oaks Subdivision, a seven-lot single-family development on 2.47 acres along State Highway 180 West, just west of Mo’s Landing City Park. The property is zoned BN (Neighborhood Business) and currently wooded with six heritage live oaks. The lots will front Highway 180 and Little Lagoon, accessed via a pervious brick paver driveway. The design preserves all heritage trees and provides a 30-foot natural buffer for a small wetland area on the site’s southern edge. A conservation easement will be placed over the wetlands. The Commission approved the plat with conditions requiring an ALDOT turnout permit, preservation of heritage oaks, City Council approval for a wetland waiver, and installation of underground utilities and wetland buffer signage prior to final plat approval.
Vacation Rental Sign Ordinance Tabled for Further Review
Following extensive public discussion, the Commission tabled consideration of a zoning text amendment regulating vacation rental signage. The proposed amendment sought to eliminate detached “for rent” and property management signs and instead limit signage to those mounted flat on building facades. Rental company representatives opposed the change, citing safety concerns for tourists searching for addresses along West Beach Boulevard and loss of visibility for emergency responders. Commissioners agreed that the issue required further study to balance aesthetics, safety, and consistency of signage placement and design. The matter will return at the November 18 meeting for continued discussion.
Daphne Planning Commission Meeting – October 23, 2025
Modified Rowan Oak Plan Approved
The Daphne Planning Commission approved a modification to the Rowan Oak PUD Master Plan. The modification, requested by the developer, will reduce the total number of units from 585 down to 545, a reduction of 40 units. The Master Plan will see a decrease in the single family and townhome units, with an increase in multi-family. The 127-acre property is located southwest of the intersection of County Rd. 13 and Milton Jones Road.
