Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – November 15, 2024
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Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – November 15, 2024
The Baldwin County (Alabama) Planning and Zoning Commission met in regular session on November 15, 2024, at 10:00:00+00:00. A quorum was present. The chair opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance; the commission approved prior minutes, handled a consent agenda, heard public testimony, and acted on rezonings, preliminary plats, a PUD, and a PRD. Planning Director Jay Dixon reviewed hearing rules and the legal standards for rezonings and subdivisions. Rezoning votes are recommendations to the Baldwin County Commission; subdivision and site-plan approvals are commission actions. Note: the transcript's opening refers to "November 7th," but the provided meeting date is November 15, 2024.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the October 3, 2024 work session and regular meeting minutes (motion by Seybert, second by Davis).
- Approved by consent: PER 24-41 Lone Oak Farms Subdivision, PER 24-42 Fairhope Falls Phase Six/Seven extension, CSP 24-36 Bayshore Christian School, PUD 22-17 Firefly Commons, SC 24-47 Wind's Place, SC 24-51 resubdivision of Lot 6 of Bishop Trace, and SDP 24-21 The Meadows Subdivision.
- After a procedural question, the commission separately voted to approve PER 24-41 and PER 24-42 so that all consent items were on the record.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Smithfield Estates (SPP 24-28): Henry Snow raised concerns about runoff, well-water contamination, and whether the developer would impose restrictions. Staff said the 3-acre lots did not trigger drainage infrastructure, no wetlands were shown, and the unzoned district allows up to two dwellings per lot, including mobile homes/RVs.
- Lanterna/Voloveki (Z24-31/PRD 24-04): Many Pleasant Road-area residents opposed. Samuel Dean, James Clark, Raymond Jones, Brenda Ladd, Ben Schoenfale, Bob Allen, Chris Jones, and Anthony La Consey cited traffic, speeding, flooding, school-zone safety, stormwater, home values, and loss of rural/agricultural land. Applicant representative Trey Genright answered that the project includes stormwater ponds, buffers, and additional road connections and that a traffic study would follow.
- Fernandez (Z24-41): Carl Hance of Royal Lane strongly opposed, saying the rezoning would further cut estate lots and reduce property values.
- Wild (Z24-43): The applicant/contractor supported the RSF2-to-RR request as an expansion of an existing indoor baseball training facility, about 9,000 square feet. Commissioners questioned nonconformity, buffers, allowable uses, and existing lighting.
- Southern Path RV Camp (PUD 24-10): Sylvia Stewart opposed, citing property values, noise, traffic, and transient-use concerns. Houston Lampkin raised water-line relocation and access concerns. Joseph Brown said buffers had been logged and asked for a mandated privacy fence and vegetation. Engineer Chris Leb responded about the ALDOT permit and utility relocation.
- Legacy Hills (SPP 24-20): Charles Adams, Tim Boslow, and Cindy Grassfield voiced concerns about "Thrill Hill" sight distance, Brown Lane road conditions, buffers, and wetland/wildlife protection.
- No public opposition was heard on Point Clear Village, Fletcher, Wise, or Blueberry Estate; Blueberry's engineer and an applicant representative answered questions. Joseph Vetford spoke in support of Bed & Blinds Ink (Z24-46).
Discussion Items
- Point Clear Village (Z24-17/SPP 24-22): Roughly 2.2 acres at County Road 32 and Scenic 98; request to rezone B2 to RSF2 for three lots and approve the preliminary plat. Staff recommended approval, with common driveway and per-lot stormwater retention conditions. The commission recommended approval of the rezoning and approved the subdivision with staff conditions.
- Lanterna (Z24-31/PRD 24-04): About 89 acres west of Highway 181 and north of Pleasant Road, proposing 295 units, with RSF2 and RMF6 zoning and townhome density of about 3.93 units per acre. The commission recommended approval of the rezoning and approved the PRD with conditions including a pervious-surface walking trail, a more centrally located playground, and traffic-study-related adjustments; both votes had one dissent.
- Fernandez (Z24-41): 3.5 acres from RSFE to RSF1 for a two-lot subdivision; staff noted it did not meet the future land use map but recommended approval. The commission recommended approval.
- Howell/HAL (Z24-42): 0.45 acre from B2 to B4 on U.S. Highway 98; staff found it consistent with the growth corridor and surrounding commercial uses. Recommended approval.
- Wild (Z24-43): 11 acres from RSF2 to RR for an additional commercial building; staff recommended denial because the area is residential and the RR district is broad. A motion to recommend denial failed on a roll call vote (2 in favor, 6 opposed). A subsequent motion to recommend approval to the county commission carried with three dissenting votes.
- Fletcher (Z24-44): 22 acres from BCZ to B2 for an existing event venue/winery expansion in Planning District 39; staff recommended approval with future commission site plan and event management plan. Recommended approval.
- Wise (Z24-45): 26 acres from RSF2 to RA for agricultural/homestead use, including horses and chickens; recommended approval, with one opposition.
- Bed & Blinds Ink (Z24-46): 3.24 acres from RR to B3 to match current commercial use; recommended approval.
- Smithfield Estates (SPP 24-28): preliminary plat for eight 3-acre lots west of Phillipsville Road and south of Jute Road; approved.
- Southern Path RV Camp (PUD 24-10): proposed 36-unit RV park off Highway 59; commission tabled the request to obtain the ALDOT access permit and address neighbors' requests regarding landscaping, a possible fence along Timberland Trace, and utility/easement details.
- Blueberry Estate (SPP 24-11): preliminary plat for six lots (one 42-acre lot and five 1.15-acre lots) east of Blueberry Lane; approved with conditions requiring a detailed landscape plan and installed buffers before final plat.
- Legacy Hills (SPP 24-20): preliminary plat for 242 lots east of the Beach Express and north of County Road 38; approved with staff conditions, including ALDOT/county road improvements, turn lanes, phased entrances, Brown Lane/vertical-curve review, and an aviation-noise notice.
Key Outcomes
- Recommended county commission approval of rezonings Z24-17, Z24-31, Z24-41, Z24-42, Z24-43, Z24-44, Z24-45, and Z24-46.
- Approved preliminary plats for Smithfield Estates, Point Clear Village subdivision, Blueberry Estate, and Legacy Hills; approved the Lanterna PRD.
- Tabled Southern Path RV Camp PUD pending ALDOT access approval and related conditions.
- Approved the commission calendar. Staff announced a work session with the county commission on proposed subdivision-regulation amendments; a commissioner asked that solid-waste provider letters be added to that review. Legal counsel agreed to follow up on the Bella Sara litigation status.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I'm gonna call our November 7th Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission to order. This time I'm gonna ask if you will to stand with me and we'll have a prayer and pledge allegiance. Our father, we're thankful to you for the blessings of this day. We're thankful for the good life we have here in this county and in this place and time. We thank you for blessing us. I think we would consider ourselves a blessed people. Now, Father, we ask your blessings on this meeting. As I always say, I pray that we show respect to each other and honor you in all that we say and do. We pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. At this time, I'll call Roll Brandon Bias here, Robert Davis, Scott Schamburger, Michael Mullock, Greg Seibert here, Jamie Stratiger, Lynn Seal, Diane Burnett, Michael Fletcher, George Waters here, and Reed Keith. All right, we have a quorum. All right, you each received a copy of the uh minutes from our October 3rd work session and regular meeting. And unless you have any comments, I'd entertain a motion that those be both be approved. So moved. Mr. Seybert's made a motion that both those minutes be approved. I have a second. Mr. Davis second the motion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Minutes are approved. All right. This time our planning director Jay Dixon will come up and have some comments for us before we get into our agenda. Go back one. That's fine. Good next. Presentation. All right. Morning, everybody. Or shoot morning. That's afternoon. Good afternoon, everyone. Um thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, real quick before we like we do every month before we get into our um our public hearings, we do have a pretty full agenda today. Uh want to quickly go through the public hearing guidelines. Uh so uh it's pretty full how when you come up to the public comments should only be made during the public hearing portion uh of the agenda. Uh when you come up to the microphone, please uh state your name and address for the record. Uh comments should be directed towards the chairman, and uh he can uh send those comments out to whoever the most appropriate person to answer it would be. Um comments should be focused only on the application that is being presented at that time, and uh comments should be limited to three minutes unless you're here representing a group. Uh you can it can be extended to five minutes. Um, the rezoning cases that we'll have as we go through every month, our zoning ordinance is pretty clear about the criteria that rezoning must be uh reviewed by is it compatible with the development pattern? Uh has there been any changes uh in conditions since the original zone? Uh does the proposed rezoning better conform to the master plan?
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