Fire Hits Daphne Recycling Program the Fairhope Police De- Introduces Partment Celebrated Break- Fast with Santa on Dec
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BALDWIN LIVING: Fairhope Christmas Parade, PAGE 5 ADCNR Officers help spread Christmas cheer at Academy The Courier PAGE 11 INSIDE DECEMBER 18, 2019 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Fairhope names public school commissioners Fairhope postpones action on rezoning issues The new Fairhope Public School Commission is in By GUY BUSBY Unit Development. place and ready to take [email protected] That vote was postponed office in January, city of- after Hunter Simmons, city ficials said. The Fairhope FAIRHOPE — Residents planning and zoning manager, City Council voted Dec. 9 to and officials will have to wait said changes to the ordinance name the nine commission until early 2020 for action on a would require new public members. Turn to page 2 to plan to rezone about 38 acres notices be advertised on the read more. as a Planned Unit Develop- proposal. ment at Bay Meadows Avenue “We had some changes on and Alabama 181. that. It's going to have to be The Fairhope City Council readvertised,” Simmons said. had been scheduled to vote “That is current scheduled to GUY BUSBY / STAFF PHOTO Dec. 9 on a proposal to rezone appear back on the agenda on The vote on a Planned Unit Development near Bay Meadows Drive a parcel near the intersec- Jan. 13.” and Alabama 181 has been rescheduled for January. The Fairhope City tion of Alabama 181 and Bay Council had been scheduled to vote Dec. 9 on a proposal to build a Meadows Drive as a Planned SEE REZONING, PAGE 2 development on the site now zoned for agriculture. Fairhope Breakfast with Santa Fire hits Daphne recycling program The Fairhope Police De- introduces partment celebrated Break- fast with Santa on Dec. 7. Children and their families giving enjoyed a pancake break- fast and had their pictures program taken with Santa Claus. See By GUY BUSBY pictures on page 16. [email protected] FAIRHOPE — A pro- gram to help Fairhope Fairhope considers residents meet special hiking golf fees needs kicked off during Annual fees for golfers the holiday season, but using the municipal Quail organizers plan to con- Creek course could soon tinue the giving beyond be going up by $100 under Christmas and into the a proposal being consid- CITY OF DAPHNE new year. ered by the Fairhope City A fire damaged the city recycling facility on Public Works Drive on Dec. 5. The Daphne Fire Department was Fairhope launched Council. Find out more on assisted by Baldwin County E 9-1-1, Daphne Public Works, Daphne Police Department, Fairhope Volunteer Neighborhood Bridges page 15. Fire, Belforest Volunteer Fire Spanish Fort Fire, Loxley Volunteer Fire, and Medstar EMS in battling the fire. about two weeks ago to help residents with By GUY BUSBY needs and to spread [email protected] kindness among all citizens, Mayor Karin DEATHS PAGE 10 DAPHNE — With its recy- Wilson said. cling center destroyed by fire, “Through Neighbor- Richard Mainwaring Bull Daphne officials are working hood Bridges Fairhope Eulalie Leighton Masterson to keep the program running. we are helping provide a Duffill City trucks will continue gateway for kindness to Gail Ann Frech collecting recyclable materi- connect people with spe- Una Rozelia Gulley als on their regular schedule, cific needs with citizens Sollie Josephine Jarrett Mayor Dane Haygood said. who want to help make Marilyn Ball Tomb For now, however, the plastic, GUY BUSBY / STAFF PHOTO their lives brighter,” cardboard and aluminum can- Wilson said. Naomi Watson Wise The Daphne recycling center was destroyed in a Dec. 5 fire. City not be processed at the center. Residents with needs officials are working to keep Daphne’s recycling program going after “The building is absolutely the blaze. ranging from grass cut- gone,” Haygood said. “We’re ting for the elderly to thankful there were no in- have not determined the those agencies could help pro- children who can’t play INDEX juries and they were able to cause of the fire. No one was cess the material sports because their move of the machinery before in the area where the blaze is Terri Graham, Baldwin families don’t have the BALDWIN LIVING, 3 it was lost.” believed to have started at the County Environmental De- money for recreation The area where the fire time the fire broke out. partment director, said she fees can post their needs CLASSIFIED, 22 started was filled with re- For now, Daphne is taking has talked to Daphne officials at the program’s web- HEALTH, 19 cyclables, including a large the recyclable material to about assistance, but the pro- site — fairhopebridges. amount of cardboard that had Baldwin County’s Magnolia cess used by Daphne is differ- com — or send email LEGALS, 24 just been dropped off. “It was Landfill. Haygood said city of- ent from the county’s. to fairhope@neighbor- OPINION, 29 pretty intense,” he said. ficials have reached out to the The mayor said officials county and Fairhope to see if SEE PAGE SEE PAGE PUZZLES, 30 FIRE, 2 PROGRAM, 2 SPORTS, 12 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 126 • ISSUE 21 IS NOW 1 SECTION • 32 PAGES ONLINE! • Freshest Quality All Departments • Hand Selected by Our Personal Shoppers • Delivery or FREE Same Day Curbside Pickup • Beer & Wine NOW Online! Order & Pay In Store! GREERS.COM/SHOP 2 • The Courier • December 18, 2019 • Gulf Coast Media Fairhope names public school commissioners By GUY BUSBY the school commission Robin Coleman will which had been es- nity voters for Fairhope be in effect for 10 years. [email protected] to take over overseeing serve two-year terms. tablished to distribute schools in a special The Spanish Fort City the funds from the K-1 Miranda Schrubbe, Dan- funds provided for referendum on Sept. 17. Council is working to FAIRHOPE — The purchase as well as the iel Mashburn-Myrick Fairhope area public The tax will be in effect select the nine members new Fairhope Public three-mill tax district,” and Cornelius Woods schools by the City for 30 years. of the commission who School Commission is in Councilman Robert were appointed to three- Council. After making Baldwin County Pub- will oversee the distri- place and ready to take Brown, who will repre- year terms. the recommendations, lic School System offi- bution of revenue from office in January, city sent the council on the As current commis- the EAC was dissolved cials have estimated that that tax. officials said. commission, said. sion terms expire all to be replace by the com- the tax will raise almost Everything should The Fairhope City The council appointed new appointments will mission. $2 million a year. be in order Jan. 1 for Council voted Dec. 9 to Hill Robinson, Tanya be for three-year terms The commission will Spanish Fort voters the school commission name the nine commis- Bossarge and Ken Cole The commissioners oversee the distribution also approved a three- to take over overseeing sion members. to one-year terms on were recommended by of proceeds from the mill property taxes for the funds from the K-1 “Everything should the commission. Brown, the Fairhope Education three-mill property tax schools in that district purchase as well as the be in order Jan. 1 for Kerry McLemore and Advisory Committee, approved by commu- on Sept. 17. That tax will three-mill tax district. site is now zoned RA, the traffic congestion said in November. “It approval and multiple Road Corridor and how REZONING Residential-Agricul- and other changes that seems like the only real occupancy project ap- to amend the Fairhope CONTINUED FROM 1 tural, which allows one the development would purpose of this PUD is to plications in Fairhope. zoning ordinance and house to be built in each cause. Some council get more lots in here.” The moratorium was subdivision regulations Simmons said the pro- three acres, a zoning members also ques- Council members said approved on Dec. 20, 2018 to plan for growth in the posal now being studied that would allow about tioned the increase. they would consider to run through Oct. 31, areas along the highway. by officials would allow 12 houses on the prop- “I’d rather see them a proposal that might 2019. Simmons said city of- 76 homes on the site. erty. (lots) larger, but the allow 60 to 80 homes on In August, the council ficials are going through The original request The proposal had size doesn’t bother me, I the site. voted to extend the mor- public comments pre- by the developer called submitted to the coun- think it’s the number of On Dec. 9, the council atorium to Dec. 31. sented during hearings for 99 homes to be built cil Nov. 25. During lots -- 99 lots versus what also postponed action on The moratorium was on the corridor and on 34 acres at the with the meeting, several they could be by right, an ordinance to extend intended to give city of- should have the plan the remaining four acres residents objected to the which is 12,” Council- a moratorium on the fil- ficials time to consider ready for council consid- zoned for business. The increase in housing and man Jimmy Conyers ing of rezoning, site plan how to plan the Greeno eration in early 2020. PROGRAM the program. Neighbor- and suburban communi- The idea for a pro- past summer to discuss tions have been working hood Bridges began as a ties than in large urban gram to help Fairhope how the platform would with the city to provide CONTINUED FROM 1 501-3-C charitable organi- centers,” Wilson said. residents began in 2017.