Fairhope, Alabama
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| Carmel Park Flats approved. |
PLANNING COMMISSION'S MARCH MEETING
After being tabled from last month's meeting for further review of traffic issues, the planning commission voted unanimously for preliminary MOP approval of Carmel Park Flats, a 242 unit multi occupancy project on 20.4 acres just outside of city limits on east Twin Beech Road (at Thompson Hall).
Per direction from the commission at its February meeting, the city hired Shane Bergin, traffic engineer with Neel/Schaffer Inc., to review previous traffic studies.
Bergin concluded that the project would not have significant impact on traffic "as long as the planned (roadway) improvements are constructed."
"Substantial completion" of a roundabout at the CR 13/Twin Beech Road intersection and turning lanes at the Twin Beech/Greeno Road intersection were priorities specifically mentioned in the new report.
Turning lanes into the development itself off of Twin Beech Road, lowering speed limits, and a four way stop at Boothe Road were already requirements from the previous study; the city is pursuing a traffic signal at that intersection instead (with MPO funding), according to the city's public works director (a four way stop could cause excessive traffic "back-up" there).
NEIGHBORS STILL OBJECT
Richard Johnson, attorney for the Fairhope Quality of Life organization, still questioned traffic study conclusions.
He said it was his understanding an entirely new traffic study was to be conducted ... not just a review of existing ones; he also still questioned whether the data was collected during "true peak hours" (school traffic).
Private citizens online and elsewhere questioned if the public meeting was being conducted properly, given the unusual pandemic conditions that limited attendance and encouraged remote participation instead (per governor's open meeting orders).
A more detailed, final MOP approval will still be needed at some point.
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| Attorney Richard Johnson |
Comments
If "affordable homes" represent such a highly remunerative enterprise, why don't you build them?
Also, apartments are not "needed," but some folks with the resources and inclination to build them sees profit in them. That does not make apartments desirable for our community. They will likely put many strains on our infrastructure disproportionate to the revenue they generate for services (e.g. schools, police).
Until our elected officials start leading, though, developers lawfully will make money here--indifferent to our quality of life and our community's charming character.
Founders? It's 2021: all founders have been cancelled. They were decidedly un-woke.
You'll hear people argue "there is no affordable housing", but the truth is that willfully choosing to live in a desirable area is not a right, it's a privilege of circumstance.
These tenants won't pay a dime in property taxes, but they will undoubtedly use every single resource, from sending their kids to public schools, to enjoying the public parks, to using emergency services. The commercial tax rate the housing management company will pay (which is supposed to cover property tax) does not workout to anywhere near equal to what a detached single family dwelling houses pay.
In the end, this is nothing more than subsidized housing for even more Mobilians to flee across the Bay to come to the desirable Eastern Shore, and it will be the homeowners who have to foot the bill for this uncontrollable growth.
These are apartments.
What's wrong with Robertsdale? Who is the snob?
As usual, anonymity and basic decency are measured out in inverse proportion.
Friends, if we don't speak up and hold our elected officials accountable, the parasites at 68 Ventures/Truland/Bellator are going to ruin our community.
Make no mistake, these people do not care about sustainable growth, this community, or the quality of life for the residents. They have been and will continue the erosion of our community until we stop them..
I have been living in Fairhope for many years because it was quiet, had nicer homes, traffic was low, utilities low, population isn't packed in apartments and allotments with no yards, cheap wood fences around every tiny yard that rot and fall over, etc. That is all disappearing so that means I, like many other retirees that have resources, will leave. Retirees or near retirees are one and two people households that typically want nice homes in well maintained neighborhoods. We don't use up resources, like families packed in apts or homes they can't afford, and yet we spend a lot money in local businesses.