Planning is bustin’ out all over lower Baldwin County. And that is a good sign, one that augurs well for the future of this super-fast growing area.
By my count there are over 5,000 residential lots either approved or in the approval process in the planning jurisdictions of the cities of the Eastern Shore: Daphne, Fairhope and Spanish Fort. This understates the impact of this booming growth when you look at some specific proposals that will change the character of these communities forever. Consider the high-rises in Daphne, the cluster of massive multi-family condos south of Fairhope and a golf course and residential developments platted for nearly 3,000 homes in the generally rural area north of Spanish Fort.
The state constitution gives most authority for zoning to the cities, with very limited control over what happens within the surrounding unincorporated areas – even in the police and fire jurisdictions. For a long time annexation, often a difficult process, was the only way for a city to control its environment, and even that solution tended just to move the problems out in geography and in time.
The impotence of the Fairhope city government in the attempt to prevent the entry of Wal-Mart into the community has been the driving issue in efforts to impose some order along the “lawless” border areas. The proposed solution is planning districts empowered to control land use in large sections of the county. This will provide an immediate fix and a process for long-term planning. Voters in most of the districts all over the Eastern Shore and adjacent areas are approving land use controls.
The county commissioners have responded to these voter-backed initiatives by beefing up the planning department and authorizing nearly $200,000 for a plan that will not only create a document to guide the county for the next decade, but will establish direction and planning processes for all county functions. Congratulations to all of the commission members who supported this much-needed initiative. I hope those who didn’t will see the value in this activity and come on board as it moves out.
At the city level, the Daphne city council continues to struggle with high-rise residential buildings. After granting an exception to city ordinances in March of 2005, to allow the construction of a 192-foot-tall condo high-rise, the council has been trying to come up with a way to codify the act. So far, they have had no success – but there has been much (think “endless”) discussion and many seemingly final decisions.
The latest final decision sets the locale of the high-rise district and the height as firm, fixed guidance to the planning commission. The commission will take this “will of the council” and create a high-rise ordinance that the council will approve. Well, maybe. Perpetual opponent, council member Cathy Barnette said there will still be opportunities for changing the ordinance. The proposed high-rise zone isn’t even in her district, so I guess she thinks John Lake, the representative in whose district any and all high-rises will be built, is some how out of touch or negligent. No legislative courtesy here.
Fortunately the Daphne planning commission and professional staff can handle this perpetual uncertainty on the part of the council, and continue to be highly effective in responding to the pressures of balancing growth and quality-of-life for their city.
Further south, Fairhope is in the process of revising its master plan – and if much is to be changed, it looks to be a long and arduous process in the hands of the planning commission. But the good news is that the city council has enacted a six-month moratorium on new subdivisions and developments. This will give a bit of breathing space to work out processes and standards that will ensure that approved growth is well-thought-out – not just a rubber stamp by the staff if minimum standards appear to have been met.
I’m hoping six months of hard work will result in a practical plan and the processes for implementing it. And guys, stick to the six months you have set aside. Mayor Kant’s committed to the schedule, but the planning commission seems willing to make this a prolonged exercise, aiming at some sort of “perfect’ plan, regardless of how long it takes.
Looking way to the north, we see a much-needed (some say desperately so) apartment project rejected by the Spanish Fort city council. These proposed apartments targeted working age tenants with incomes around $35,000. Further, they would provide a transition between existing residential neighborhoods and the long-delayed Spanish Fort City Center project. This is the kind of synergy in development urban planners dream of.
In spite of this setback, the city’s planning staff reported being hopeful the elements of good planning and urban design are gradually being appreciated in their community. Not so bad – Spanish Fort is a young city and is likely suffering growing pains. But regardless of how new and unfamiliar things are, the council needs to pay more attention to their planning staff and the plans that have been developed and less to single-issue neighborhood complaints.
In conclusion, remember this from a previous Lagniappe (repetition is great for learning): “Planning is everything, plans are nothing” – ‘cause the minute implementation begins, plans start being interpreted and adjusted to fit infinitely variable real-world conditions. You are well served by having a good planning process in place, one that can handle unknown-unknowns – those things you never can plan for, but always happen. And never fixate on trying to create the “perfect” plan – it’s perfectly worthless.
Contact Pete Gleszer at jubilee@lagniappemobile.com.
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