Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - February 11, 2025
Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - February 11, 2025
The Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission held a regular meeting on February 11, 2025, at 3:30 PM. The meeting included approval of consent agenda items, public hearings on subdivision and rezoning requests, and discussion of a planned unit development. Key actions included approval of multiple subdivisions, rezonings, and a PRD, along with a vote to extend an RV park permit.
Consent Calendar
- CSP 24-35: Campbell Road Cell Tower – Approved without opposition.
- SC24-59: Replat of Lot 1, Guthrie Estates – Approved without opposition.
- SC24-62: Clayton Subdivision – Approved without opposition.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Briar Subdivision (SC24-60) – Craig Terrell (property adjacent) expressed concern about potential mobile home development. Staff clarified the subdivision allows four lots with up to two units each. No further opposition.
- Seville Estates (SPP 24-36) – Oliver Wicker (adjacent property owner) raised concern about stormwater runoff from the detention pond affecting his land. Engineer committed to evaluating downstream impacts.
- Two Lakes PRD (PRD 24-10) – No public speakers.
- Hagel Property (Z24-51) – No public opposition.
- No Doubt Holdings (Z24-55) – No public opposition.
- Green Property (Z24-56) – No public opposition.
- Smith Properties (Z24-57) – No public opposition.
- Cottages on 31 (PUD 24-13) – Multiple residents spoke against the development:
- Michelle White (Bromley Road) cited dangerous traffic on Highway 31, high accident frequency, and incompatibility with rural character.
- Letitia Byrd (Ward Road) noted inadequate notice, concerns about noise from adjacent businesses (machine shop and venue), lack of detention pond on wet site, and traffic impacts.
- Michael Riley (Ward Road) questioned lack of impact fees, traffic congestion, and urged smart growth. Staff explained that in unzoned areas the commission cannot consider land use compatibility; traffic studies are not required below 50 units; and ALDOT has jurisdiction over Highway 31.
- South Town Phase 2 (SPP 24-39) – Several residents opposed:
- Lisa Mitchell (Owens Lane) presented a petition with 57 signatures, citing traffic, drainage, and overdevelopment.
- Michael Caldwell (Gen Court) raised concerns about erosion from the detention pond, road deterioration, law enforcement jurisdiction, and his access easement. Staff noted post-development runoff cannot exceed pre-development rates.
- Jane Martin (Kirchak Lane) emphasized traffic congestion on County Roads 48 and 65, especially near schools and Walmart, and questioned the adequacy of the October 2024 traffic study which did not fully account for nearby developments.
- Nikki Whitaker (County Road 48) echoed traffic concerns and asked about maintenance of the Alabama Power easement and proposed right-of-way.
Discussion Items
- PE PER 25-01: Beach and Barn RV Park Extension – Staff requested a second one-year extension for the previously approved Salty State RV Park (approved Feb 2022) which had expired. Applicant stated clearing had begun and construction could be completed within one year. Some commissioners argued the project should be handled by the City of Foley due to jurisdictional changes. Staff noted Foley now has ordinances to regulate RV parks. The commission voted 4-2 to approve the extension.
- SC24-60: Briar Subdivision – Request for a 4-lot subdivision in RA zoning. No wetlands identified. Lots 3 and 4 to access via Comstock Road due to unpaved CC Road. Approved with staff conditions.
- SPP 24-36: Seville Estates – Preliminary plat for 9 lots in Lillian area, RSF-2 zone. Requires four common driveways, landscape buffers, and detention pond. Approved with conditions.
- PRD 24-10: Two Lakes, Phase 1 & 2 – Planned residential development for 114 RV/casita sites on 40 acres. Applicant noted the casita concept was previously approved under Gulf Shores' ETJ; now under county purview. Approved with conditions including recordation of plat amendments.
- Z24-51: Hagel Property – Rezone 29 acres from BCZ to RSF-1 to allow sale of house with one acre. Recommended to county commission. Unanimous.
- Z24-55: No Doubt Holdings LLC – Rezone 4.2 acres from BCZ to RR for contractor’s yard extension. Recommended to county commission. Unanimous.
- Z24-56: Green Property – Rezone 0.5 acre from RSF-1 to RSF-2 for lot line adjustment. Recommended to county commission. Unanimous.
- Z24-57: Smith Properties – Rezone two parcels from B3 to B4 for major commercial use near Highway 59. Recommended to county commission. Unanimous.
- PUD 24-13: Cottages on 31 – Final site plan for 29 townhouse units on unzoned property west of US 31. Density is 4.3 units/acre (allowed 12). Applicant requested waiver of sidewalk requirement (granted by staff). Staff conditions include ALDOT access permit and subdivision exemption. Approved.
- SPP 24-39: South Town Phase 2 – Preliminary plat for 193 single-family lots in Planning District 18 (unzoned). Existing infrastructure from prior phase. Traffic study from Oct 2024 showed no improvements needed at CR 48 and SR 59; ALDOT concurred. Condition to verify Alabama Power easement and adjust wetland lot. Approved with conditions.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda Items Approved – Three items (Campbell Road cell tower, Guthrie Estates replat, Clayton subdivision) approved without opposition.
- RV Park Extension Approved – Motion carried 4-2 (Bias, Davis, Burnett, Waters in favor; Seibert, Stratager opposed).
- Briar Subdivision Approved – Unanimous.
- Seville Estates Approved – Unanimous.
- Two Lakes PRD Approved – Unanimous.
- Hagel Rezoning Recommended – Unanimous.
- No Doubt Holdings Rezoning Recommended – Unanimous.
- Green Rezoning Recommended – Unanimous.
- Smith Properties Rezoning Recommended – Unanimous.
- Cottages on 31 Approved – Unanimous.
- South Town Phase 2 Approved – Unanimous (Chairman recused; quorum maintained).
- Master Plan Update – Staff announced a steering committee will be formed; Commissioner Davis volunteered.
- Road Classification Update – Several roads reclassified; MPO approved list.
- Next Meeting – Scheduled for March 6, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I'm gonna welcome you to our February 6th Bowman County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. And at this time, if you will stand, we'll have a prayer and a pledge of allegiance. Father, we're thankful to you for this day for the blessings we've each enjoyed. Father, we're thankful to you for this place, great place we live in. We pray, Father, for guidance tonight. Pray that we do things that show respect to each other and honor to you. We pray that uh you'll just continue to bless uh the growth in this county. We know for some it may seem a lot, but Father, we just pray that you'll help us all to be good stewards of what you blessed us with. Thank you for our staff and for all those county workers that make this a great place to live and make this meeting possible tonight. 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 do the roll call. Brandon Bias here, Robert Davis, Scott Schamburger, Michael Mullock, Greg Seibert here, Jamie Stratiger, Glenn Seal, Diane Burnett, Michael Fletcher, George Waters here, and Reed Key. All right, we just barely have a quorum, but we do have a quorum, which is good. So with that, um you all have received a copy of the minutes from the work session of our January 9th meeting along with our regular uh meeting minutes of the January 9th meeting. If there are no changes to those, I would uh entertain a motion that both of those be approved. So moved. Mr. Seibert has made the motion to approve to have a second. Mr. Davis' second the motion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right, the minutes are approved. All right, this time our planning director, Mr. Jay Dixon will come up and give some guidance on our meeting tonight. All righty, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh good evening. So we'll quickly go through our public hearing guidelines. We have several public hearings uh on the agenda tonight. Um so the public, there's a pretty full crowd here today, and and so when you come up, the uh public comment should uh only be made during the public hearing portion of the meeting when the chairman uh opens up the public hearing. Uh when you come up to the podium, stake your name and address into the microphone for the record. Uh this meeting will be recording, and the video may be streaming on the internet, so please speak clearly and uh uh loud enough to be heard and into the microphone. Uh comments should be directed to the planning commission chairman, and he can disseminate those comments as as needed. Comments should be focused on the applicant being presented uh at the time and uh comments should from individuals are limited to three minutes. If you're speaking on behalf of the group, uh the chairman can give you five minutes, just to state what group you are uh speaking on behalf of. Uh on the rezoning pieces, we have uh 11 criteria that rezonings must be uh reviewed by. You'll see these in all of the staff reports today. But the first is uh compatible uh with the development pattern in the area. Have there been any changes uh since the original zoning of the area? Uh does the proposal conform to the master plan? Uh does it conflict with public improvements? Uh is there any adverse effects to traffic? And like I say every month when we're talking about rezonings, that's that's different than traffic at the subdivision or site plan phase uh traffic and rezoning cases really about proximity to the transportation network and access, you know, any kind of localized improvements would be addressed during uh whatever next phase of development when the traffic studies is performed. Um, is it consistent with the development pattern of the area? It number seven is a logical expansion of the adjacent zoning.
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