Rapid Growth Continues On City's East Side

Fairhope, Alabama


New Morphy Ave. subdivision entrance


NEW MORPHY SUBDIVISION APPROVED

Fox Hollow
The planning commission has approved Fox Hollow, a new 109 lot residential subdivision with its main entrance off of Morphy Avenue, two blocks west of Thompson Hall Road.

The volunteer fire department asked for additional restrictions on lots adjacent their  training facility, but the commission decided they were not necessary by state law. (Fireworks are stored there, besides training)

The phased development adds to the hundreds of lots already approved in the Hwy 181 corridor area -- and puts even more pressure on infrastructure, particularly concerning traffic issues.

At one time, the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation was exploring funding a sidewalk down Morphy in the area, but that project became bogged down in drainage and right of way acquisition squabbles with a few property owners along the road.



 181 CORRIDOR SPRAWL A GROWING CONCERN
Hwy 181 sprawl worsening

One senior city official told the Times that more big box stores are "probably inevitable" in the area along Highway 181 especially -- because much of the area is un-zoned  and beyond the city's control being not within city limits.

Zoning has never been enacted by the county there either.

He also said he had heard a large piece of property known as the Klump Airfield (between Fairhope and Gayfer Aves.) was up for sale -- and worried "some big thing" could pop up there too.

Some time ago a representative from the state highway department told the Times that the widening of the highway to four lanes is not expected to happen until the year 2022, if funding can be found.

That could relieve traffic congestion but actually spur even more rapid development in the area, he said.



'VILLAGE TASK FORCE' STILL NOT APPOINTED

A new village plan task force, recommended by last year's update of the city's comprehensive growth plan to help implement the complex village model has still not been appointed.

 
From part six of the city's comprehensive growth plan:


"During the planning process for this update, the Planning Team heard from various residents who were disappointed that more village‐style development had not taken place. It must be realized that the” Great Recession” in 2008 essentially stopped all development activity for a number of years and that the development market has not yet returned to the levels of 2005 and 2006. In fact, it seems that development activity is unlikely to return to those frantic days anytime soon. Therefore, appropriate expectations must be set. It has become clear that a detailed recommended “roadmap” must be developed in order to provide appropriate guidance to City Staff, so that the steps needed to help create additional Villages can be taken. Therefore, the following narrative is intended to provide this roadmap, which requires proactive action by the Planning Department. Simply reviewing and reacting to development proposals will not create the success that the City desires.

Step 1. Village Development Task Force:

This task force, to be comprised no more than 10 people, is to be appointed by the City Council. The purpose of the task force is to bring together interested people with varied skillsets necessary to understand and undertake village development. The task force should include an Engineer, a Banker, a Developer, a Commercial Real Estate Agent, a Lawyer, an Architect, and City representatives. This task force is to provide assistance to staff in working with landowners, who are interested or are potentially interested in creating a village. These professionals can advise and help form the basis for preliminary development plans."

 

Staffing of the city's planning department is inadequate to address the problem at this time, according to informed sources.

Citizen surveys were conducted, and several  town hall and stakeholder meetings were held from 2013-15 to update the plan -- click.




Hwy 181 discussed at comprehensive plan meeting


many other new subdivisions too

Highway 181 problems

 traffic congestion worsening

new Morphy Ave. subdivsion approved

Fox Hollow phase one

Fox Hollow subdivision under construction

Klump airfield property for sale on 181?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Are they going to be more generic D R Horton houses? What happened to local builders?
Anonymous said…
What a joke. They want a developer, a lawyer, and a real estate person on growth plan task force?? That would be like a flock of sheep asking a pack of wolves on advice for protection.
Brian said…
Connecting the roads between subdivisions is the only remedy for the sprawl and traffic disaster -- but our ignorant citizenry (aka "the mob") is clueless to the concept .
Anonymous said…
Having an opinion of your own is ok, being very rude in your delivery suggests a lower IQ than those you bash.
Anonymous said…
And what has happened to the old hwy 27. Now 181-to be a 4 way to 98????
Traffic is bad and accidents !!
Anonymous said…
The builder that we had was horrid. He built two homes and the stone on one of them started falling off less than a year. Our house was a mess we had our stone taken down becuse it was very ugly ( landscape stones). We were constantly repairing one thing after another. He was a local builder. I personally think he sucked and did not know what he was doing
Anonymous said…
The builder that we had was horrid. He built two homes and the stone on one of them started falling off less than a year. Our house was a mess we had our stone taken down becuse it was very ugly ( landscape stones). We were constantly repairing one thing after another. He was a local builder. I personally think he sucked and did not know what he was doing
Anonymous said…
To add to above comment. It is a pet peeve of mine when someone is hired to do a job and they do not know what they are doing. I think one should know their trade and master it instead of slapping a name on their self and doing a crappy half a** job. I find that to be the case a lot in Fairhope. Builders and landscapers Having a truck and a mower does not make you a landscaper. Having a truck and sorta knowing how to do trim work does not make you a builder. I also found it to be true with hair stylist. Know your trade people and stop charging people for something that you half ** know anything about. Having a liscense does not make you good
Anonymous said…
oops. License spelled wrong above
Anonymous said…
Organizations sometimes use a planning task forceto help develop plans. Such a task force includes line managers with a special interest in the relevant area of planning