Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - March 10, 2026

The Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission met on March 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The meeting included approval of minutes, consent agenda items for five extension requests, and a series of public hearings for subdivision and site plan approvals. All items on the agenda were approved unanimously. A public comment requested a 180-day moratorium on solar farms and data centers countywide. Staff also provided an update on new stormwater management tools.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the work session minutes and regular meeting minutes of February 5, 2026.
• Approved five extension requests (PER 26-02, PER 26-03, PER 26-04, PER 26-06, PER 26-07) for: Casella subdivision extension, Northwoods Phase 1 subdivision extension, Savannah Estates Phase 2 extension, Club RV Park extension, and Karina Mobile Home Park extension. All were discussed in a prior work session and approved without opposition.
• Approved case CPD 25-03 (Lilly and Boat Storage) for 100 boat and RV storage units, subject to staff recommendations, after the applicant provided a revised site plan with a shifted entrance and unit layout confirmation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tracy (no last name provided) thanked the planning and zoning department, commissioners, and county commissioners for accepting and fast-tracking a zoning request for Stockton. She formally requested that the planning and zoning commission or the county commission place a 180-day moratorium on solar farms and data centers countywide to protect the county from further exposure in zoned and unzoned areas. The chairman responded that this would be a county commission decision and noted legal considerations.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing Guidelines: Jay Dixon reminded the public of the three-minute speaking limit (five minutes for group representatives) and that subdivision approvals meeting all adopted regulations leave the commission no discretion but to approve.
• SC25-68 (Resubdivision of Lot 51A Riverside Farm Estates): A two-lot subdivision on 4.03 acres, smallest lot 1.93 acres. No public comments received. Approved.
• SC26-01 (Highway 90 Subdivision): A two-lot non-residential subdivision on 115 acres (unzoned). A neighboring property owner, James McMahon, asked about the meaning of non-residential and learned it could include commercial use; the applicant (Aaron Collins) stated the property is owned by Baldwin County Sewer and may be used for future expansion. Approved with conditions requiring OLDOT approval for any future driveway construction.
• SC26-02 (Phyllis Place): A four-lot subdivision on 2.73 acres (unzoned). Staff received two emails and a phone call with concerns about increased traffic on local roads, density, and water availability. The plat shows three driveways on McKinley Road and one on Hillview Road; an Alabama Power easement runs through all parcels. Approved with condition that future driveways meet the access management plan.
• SC26-03 (Green Pastures): A two-lot residential subdivision on 1.89 acres (zoned RSF2). The design engineer submitted a fire protection report just before the meeting. Approved with conditions including adherence to the Access Management Plan and submission of a signed/stamped report verifying adequate fire flow.
• SPP 25-30 and SD 26-01 (Sea Glade at St. Andrews Bay): Request for preliminary plat approval for 27 residential lots and a variance from Section 5516 regarding street elevation (roads must be less than two feet below base flood elevation). The variance was needed because the existing ground is lower than the base flood elevation and roads must tie into existing roads at lower elevations; a U.S. Fish and Wildlife incidental taking permit restricts construction. Public speakers included a neighboring resident concerned about flooding and driveway/parking changes; the applicant's engineer (Melissa Hadley) explained that road drainage will be contained within the private right-of-way and house footprints are fixed. The variance was approved, and the preliminary plat was approved subject to staff recommendations.
• SRP 26-01 (Summer Grove Revised Preliminary Plat): Request to add a third access (back onto Rigsby Road) to the approved preliminary plat. No public comments. Approved with condition that the original approval expiration date (April 4, 2026) is not altered.
• CSP 25-46 (Coastal Church): Site plan approval for a parking lot addition, drive, and detention pond on 3.25 acres of a 25-acre parcel zoned RA. No public comments. Approved.
• CSP 26-04 (Buffalo Rock Warehouse and Office Building): Site plan approval for a warehouse and office on 9.89 acres zoned M1 (light industrial). No public comments. Approved.
• Stormwater Management Update: Jay Dixon reported that the commission's updated subdivision regulations (adopted ~2025) strengthened stormwater requirements, including retention of the first inch of runoff and low impact development (LID) standards for dense developments. Over the past year, a grant from Mobile Bay NEP funded consultants to develop an LID evaluation tool and standardized stormwater forms. A training session three weeks prior drew over 50 attendees; positive survey feedback received. The new tools are now on the planning and zoning webpage under “Permit Engineer – Stormwater.” Additionally, the county added five new rainfall gauges (three to Styx and two to Magnolia rivers) to support regional stormwater modeling. The chairman noted this positions the county on the leading edge of stormwater management.

Key Outcomes

• All public hearing items were approved unanimously with staff recommendations and conditions.
• The commission took no action on Tracy's request for a moratorium on solar farms and data centers, directing it to the county commission.
• Meeting adjourned after the stormwater update.

Note: The transcript indicated the meeting date as March 5, but per instructions the meeting date is March 10, 2026.