Fairhope, Alabama
WEEKLY 'TEA AT TWO' TALK
The city's new Planning and Zoning Director, Wayne Dyess, was the guest speaker at the musuem Tuesday.
Dyess said he was born and raised in Foley, Alabama and played football at Foley High where the coaches were his main role models; later his first "government" job was with the City of Foley's 'Parks Department' maintaining playing fields.
Initially, he wanted to be a teacher (social sciences, history), but after actually 'student teaching' for a while decided it was not for him, changed course, and got degrees in urban planning and land-use economics instead: "Taking a vision and making it happen ... like Walt Disney's ... was inspirational."
(He added his father warned him at the time about politics playing a role in planning, though.)
After stints as a planner for cities in Virginia, Georgia, and Florida, Baldwin County hired him in the year 2000; but soon after their planning director left and he was promoted as replacement.
Much of his early time with the county was spent going out to town hall meetings advocating for zoning in rapidly-growing unincorporated areas where none existed before, he said.
Dyess: "Each district had to vote for it ... we had to go out and try to sell it ... . The zoned-area almost tripled (during my time there)."
2010 BROUGHT CHANGES
The year 2010 brought big changes with the BP oil spill, bad economy/recession, and a new county commission that adopted new policies -- so Dyess left to work in Walton County, Florida where he helped build-up the planning department there (while still commuting from his home in Baldwin County).
Then, "about 12 months ago, on the way to a meeting ... my phone rang ... it was Karin Wilson ... I did not know who she was," and a short time later he became the city of Fairhope's new planning director.
Dyess called himself a "history buff" and observed that Fairhope's founders clearly had a vision for a "turn of the century town" with a "a traditional downtown and neigborhoods": He said he envisions a return to those principles today.
RE-DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT
Dyess said there is a lot of new construction going on presently, but re-vitalizing older developments is a high priority too; he mentioned retrofitting the "sea of vacant parking spaces" in the large shopping centers along Greeno Road (at Fairhope Avenue) with new mixed-use projects (parking in back) to create more visually-appealing, traditional streetscapes.
He also mentioned expanding the Central Business District to incentivize improvements in fringe areas as well, such as along Fairhope Avenue near the post office; but any new development should be balanced with preserving existing historic buildings to "maintain the city's character," he added.
ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM AUDIENCE
* He said he sees the job of city planner as carrying out the comprehensive plan, zoning and subdivision regulations -- and to maximize the city's investment in its utilities.
* The Greeno Road corridor is no longer suitable for single family residential use, but is for a mixture of commercial/residential (ie. condominiums).
* Favors 'form based codes' based upon appearance rather than use, to promote walkable "turn of the century-like" neighborhoods (ie. early 1900's).
* One major benefit of the building moratorium was discovering the need to upgrade several sewage lift stations that are at/near capacity.
 |
| Wayne Dyess |
WEEKLY 'TEA AT TWO' TALK
The city's new Planning and Zoning Director, Wayne Dyess, was the guest speaker at the musuem Tuesday.
Dyess said he was born and raised in Foley, Alabama and played football at Foley High where the coaches were his main role models; later his first "government" job was with the City of Foley's 'Parks Department' maintaining playing fields.
Initially, he wanted to be a teacher (social sciences, history), but after actually 'student teaching' for a while decided it was not for him, changed course, and got degrees in urban planning and land-use economics instead: "Taking a vision and making it happen ... like Walt Disney's ... was inspirational."
 |
| Dyess addressing city council |
After stints as a planner for cities in Virginia, Georgia, and Florida, Baldwin County hired him in the year 2000; but soon after their planning director left and he was promoted as replacement.
Much of his early time with the county was spent going out to town hall meetings advocating for zoning in rapidly-growing unincorporated areas where none existed before, he said.
Dyess: "Each district had to vote for it ... we had to go out and try to sell it ... . The zoned-area almost tripled (during my time there)."
2010 BROUGHT CHANGES
The year 2010 brought big changes with the BP oil spill, bad economy/recession, and a new county commission that adopted new policies -- so Dyess left to work in Walton County, Florida where he helped build-up the planning department there (while still commuting from his home in Baldwin County).
Then, "about 12 months ago, on the way to a meeting ... my phone rang ... it was Karin Wilson ... I did not know who she was," and a short time later he became the city of Fairhope's new planning director.
Dyess called himself a "history buff" and observed that Fairhope's founders clearly had a vision for a "turn of the century town" with a "a traditional downtown and neigborhoods": He said he envisions a return to those principles today.
RE-DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT
 |
| Possible re-development site? |
He also mentioned expanding the Central Business District to incentivize improvements in fringe areas as well, such as along Fairhope Avenue near the post office; but any new development should be balanced with preserving existing historic buildings to "maintain the city's character," he added.
ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM AUDIENCE
* He said he sees the job of city planner as carrying out the comprehensive plan, zoning and subdivision regulations -- and to maximize the city's investment in its utilities.
* The Greeno Road corridor is no longer suitable for single family residential use, but is for a mixture of commercial/residential (ie. condominiums).
* Favors 'form based codes' based upon appearance rather than use, to promote walkable "turn of the century-like" neighborhoods (ie. early 1900's).
* One major benefit of the building moratorium was discovering the need to upgrade several sewage lift stations that are at/near capacity.
Comments