Fairhope sets public meeting on land use plan

Meeting Sept. 22 at James Nix Center

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FAIRHOPE – City officials are looking for comments and ideas from residents to help prepare a plan to deal with growth in the region, Mayor Sherry Sullivan said Friday, Sept. 10.

The city will hold a public meeting Sept. 22 to discuss the comprehensive land use plan being developed for Fairhope. The meeting will be at the James P. Nix Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“You hear people criticize every day, the growth and the development that we’re seeing,” Sullivan said. “This is their opportunity to have input into that plan so it’s really important to us to have the community engagement. It’s the most important part of this plan.”

City officials and supporters are working to develop a strategic plan to address growth with an emphasis on environmental stewardship and legal foundation for implementation, according to a city statement. The proposal includes sustainable community growth combined with green infrastructure.

Sullivan said the city is reaching out to homeowners’ associations, property owners’ associations and other community groups to ask their opinions on issues such as growth.

“The most important part of this to me is engaging our community, so we really are trying to do a lot of outreach to everybody and make sure that people know about these meetings, make sure they know how important it is for us to get their input,” Sullivan said.

She said the meeting will be an open forum, so residents can bring up whatever issues concern them.

“It’s mostly about growth, zoning, how you want to see Fairhope grow, what you would like to see here, what kind of developments you want to see, those kinds of things,” Sullivan said. “So, I would just, again, tell people to be sure to come to those public meetings to make sure their voice is heard.”

The Sept. 22 event is the first of several public meetings planned in the next three months. The meetings will be held at different locations around Fairhope. Virtual options will also be available, according to a city statement.

The community engagement portion of the project is expected to run through February 2022. Residents can email CompPlan@FairhopeAL.gov for more information.

The project is sponsored by the RESTORE Council in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.