Fairhope Planning Commission Rejects 240-Unit Fly Creek Apartment Proposal on 5-4 Vote
The Fairhope Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-4 on Dec. 7 against amending the Fly Creek Planned Unit Development to allow 240 apartments, before a crowd of about 300.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The Fairhope Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-4 on Dec. 7 against a proposed change to the Fly Creek Planned Unit Development that would have allowed 240 upscale apartments.
Large crowd
About 300 people attended the meeting, which was moved to an auditorium because of the size of the crowd. The auditorium has no sound or video recording equipment. Before the meeting, the project had been widely expected to win approval.
The proposal
The audience heard presentations from an engineering firm based in Daphne and an environmental consultant from Florida describing how a Mississippi developer would build the apartments on land owned by Arthur Corte, who does not live in Fairhope. The original proposal for the planned unit development had stated that no apartments would be built there.
Members of the audience said they did not want apartments at the location and called for a show-of-hands vote.
The vote
Councilman Mike Ford, who serves on the commission, said apartments did not fit the location. Mayor Tim Kant and commission member Jennifer Fidler also voted against the change, resulting in the 5-4 vote.
