Commissioner Chris Elliott Addresses Gas Station Rumors at New Fairhope Roundabout

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Baldwin County Commissioner Chris Elliott has issued a statement responding to rumors that a gas station could be built at the new Fairhope roundabout at the intersection of Highway 13 and Fairhope Avenue, also known as County Road 48.

Elliott said that as of the date of his statement he knew of no application to the City of Fairhope for such a project.

A Shared Jurisdiction

According to Elliott, the intersection lies partly inside Fairhope city limits and partly in unincorporated Baldwin County, and it falls within the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

“This means that while portions of this area are in the county, the City of Fairhope issues (or refuses to issue) building permits and has subdivision authority over this property,” Elliott said. “It’s worth noting that the city (no matter the mayor and no matter the council makeup) must issue permits and permissions if all requirements are met.”

Elliott said the northwest corner of the intersection, the parcel at the center of the rumors, is in the county and has not been annexed into the city. Annexation would have to be requested by the property owner. When county zoning was adopted by voters, Elliott said, that area chose not to participate, so the land remains unzoned. He said the only way to change that would be to put the question to voters again.

Right-of-Way and Sale of the Corner

Part of the property was acquired by the county to build the roundabout. Elliott said that during right-of-way negotiations the owner asked for access to the remaining parcel, a request he described as routine. As a result, the project included two aprons built on the right-of-way to provide access to the remainder of the property.

Elliott said the owners, who live just to the west, later sold the rest of the corner after the right-of-way purchase was complete. The buyer operates a number of gas stations in Baldwin County. “Accordingly, I can understand where the rumors began,” Elliott said.

Because the land is within Fairhope’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, any building permit or subdivision approval would be decided by the city. “However, as of today, I know of no application to the city of this kind,” Elliott said.

“Any speculation about the future of this corner is just that at this point but I would stay involved and make your opinion known to your city leaders,” he said.

City planning and permitting officials have said their regulations limit their ability to deny an application when all requirements are met.

One of the County’s First Roundabouts

The intersection is one of the first in Baldwin County to be converted to a roundabout. Research cited by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, including a University of Maine study of 25 intersections converted to roundabouts, found a 39% reduction in crashes, a 76% drop in crashes causing injuries and a 90% drop in collisions involving fatal or incapacitating injuries. Other research has found roundabouts can cut traffic delays by as much as 75%.