Fairhope, Alabama thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com
SLOW DOWN NEEDED
The Baldwin County Commission voted unanimously to suspend new rezoning applications to allow time for the incoming commission (Nov. 3) to find a new planning director and adopt a new master plan. The suspension includes renewable energy and data center projects as well, if any should come up.
Commissioner Ball said the shorthanded planning staff is being inundated with rezoning requests and thought a pause was in order; McKenzie agreed (Gruber was absent).
Commissioner Underwood said she had been advocating for the pause for some time until the updated master plan could be implemented. She actually had proposed one during a meeting last summer, but it died due to lack of support.
From a June 2026 FT report:
"Commissioner Underwood proposed a five month moratorium on new rezoning applications in the county’s planning jurisdiction to allow time for their master land use plan/land use map to be updated; commissioner Gruber agreed — but commissioners McKenzie and Ball were skeptical.
Underwood: “(Our) land use plan and map … are currently being updated … getting close … not there yet … reasonable to consider a pause … rezoning cases can have long term implications … to insure decisions are within framework of new processes we are establishing … new commission coming in … in five months ..”
Gruber thought a six month duration may be better.
County engineer Frank Lundy said staff and community stakeholders had been working on it for some time — and they were almost ready to present it to the public. The July 14 Road and Bridge meeting was targeted for release, he said.
Lundy added staff was neutral about a moratorium. Since two of the four commissioners were not in favor, the proposal failed."