Magnolia Walk Deals, Highway 98 Crosswalks Top Foley Council’s Packed Agenda

FOLEY, Ala. — Economic development agreements tied to the Magnolia Walk development headlined a lengthy Foley City Council agenda on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, as city leaders also took up pedestrian safety improvements along Highway 98, new public safety technology contracts, road assessments and a host of routine municipal business.

The council’s work session and regular meeting were scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Foley City Hall. The agenda called for public hearings, votes on development resolutions, reviews of departmental business and dozens of individual items ranging from multimillion-dollar infrastructure planning to a $500 community donation. Final vote results were not included in the published agenda.

Magnolia Walk Agreements on the Table

Two of the most significant items involved the Magnolia Walk development. Council members were asked to authorize an economic development agreement with SCP/BPG Magnolia Holdings, LLC, the company associated with the project.

The council was also asked to consider a project user fee agreement for Magnolia Walk between the City of Foley and the City of Foley Public Facilities Cooperative District. Public facilities cooperative districts are public entities that Alabama cities can form under state law to help finance and carry out public projects. Agreements of this type are often used to structure how public improvements connected to a private development are paid for over time, though the agenda itself did not spell out the financial terms of the Magnolia Walk agreements.

Separately, the council was asked to consider approving a petition to form and incorporate an improvement district within the City of Foley. The agenda did not identify the location or purpose of the proposed district. In Alabama, improvement districts are generally created to finance public infrastructure such as streets, utilities and drainage within a defined area, with costs typically assessed to properties inside the district.

Highway 98 Pedestrian Project Changes Hands

Pedestrian safety along Highway 98, one of Foley’s busiest corridors, was another focus. The council was asked to amend an earlier resolution, No. 26-1261-RES, to rescind a contract award to L & K Construction and instead award the Highway Safety Improvement Program pedestrian improvements project to P. L. Russell Construction, LLC. The agenda did not state why the original award was being rescinded.

The project covers pedestrian improvements on Highway 98 at Cedar Street, Oak Street, Pine Street and Chicago Street, along with the Rose Trail crosswalk. The Highway Safety Improvement Program, commonly known as HSIP, is a federal-aid program that supports projects aimed at significantly reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roads. In Alabama, it is administered through the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Other transportation and roadway items on the agenda included:

• A second reading of an ordinance amending traffic controls and speed limits within the Graham Creek Estates neighborhood.
• A professional services proposal from Sawgrass Consulting for a Pavement Condition Index roadway assessment, including reporting and mapping. A Pavement Condition Index study rates the condition of a city’s streets and helps officials decide which roads need repair first.
• A professional services proposal from Centennial Civil Engineering for the 9th Avenue pedestrian path project, running from South Pine Street to Highway 59.
• A request for permission to solicit bids and award, within budget, work on roads in the city’s Medical Overlay District.
• Approval to purchase two trucks for the Street Department’s road crew.

Public Safety Technology and Equipment

The council was also asked to authorize two five-year agreements with Axon Enterprises, a company widely known for law enforcement technology such as Taser devices and body-worn cameras. One agreement covers Fusus and Skydio. Fusus is a platform that helps agencies bring together live video and data feeds for real-time crime center operations, while Skydio is a manufacturer of drones used by public safety agencies. The second agreement covers Prepared software, services and hardware, technology designed for emergency communications and 911 centers.

Other public safety and city equipment items included:

• Authorizing a capital purchase and permission to go to bid for a new vehicle for the Communications Department.
• Approving bids for a 4×4 pickup truck for the Foley Fire Department.
• Entering into an agreement with Synergy Disaster Recovery for disaster recovery consulting services, a type of service coastal communities often line up in advance of hurricanes and other emergencies.
• Approving the use of restricted court cash from the city’s MCJAF Fund.

Industrial Park and Economic Development

Looking toward future job growth, the council was asked to approve a budget amendment for professional engineering services at the North Foley Industrial Park. The same item called for authorizing an application for the Growing Alabama Tax Credit and authorizing GMC to prepare and submit that application on the city’s behalf.

The Growing Alabama program, created by state law, offers tax credits to businesses that contribute to approved economic development projects, with much of the money directed toward site development such as industrial parks. Communities across the state use the program to help prepare sites so they are ready to attract new employers.

The agenda also included a request to approve the monthly bids awarded in September 2026 and to appoint members to the City of Foley Technical Design Board of Appeals.

Nuisance Hearings and Property Matters

Several items dealt with overgrown property. The council scheduled public hearings regarding weed abatement and nuisance declarations for vacant lots located north and south of the Crown Walk Subdivision entrance on South Hickory Street. A related item would authorize city employees to enter those properties to carry out nuisance abatement.

Council members were also asked to set future public hearings to declare weeds a public nuisance at Common Area 3 of Southwood at Arbor Walk Phase 1 and at 610 E. Orange Avenue. Alabama law allows cities to declare overgrown weeds a public nuisance after notice and a hearing, and to clean up the property if the owner does not, with the cost potentially assessed against the property.

Community Items, From Toys for Tots to Fireworks

A number of agenda items touched directly on community life in Foley. Among them:

• A proclamation recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
• Temporary use of the former Foley Public Library building by Toys for Tots, the long-running holiday toy drive program associated with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
• Approval of the 2026 New Year’s Eve fireworks display at OWA, the resort and entertainment destination in Foley.
• A $500 donation to support Wreaths Across America at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort. Wreaths Across America places wreaths on veterans’ graves each December.
• Reappointing Deborah Mixon to the Foley Revitalization and Beautification Advisory Board.
• An application with the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for a retail beer and table wine license for JLT Portabellas LLC at 321 S. McKenzie Street, Suite B.

Routine business rounded out the session, including a review of approved and paid bills from September 2026, departmental reports, and minutes from the Oct. 5 work session and the Oct. 12 special called council meeting.

How Residents Can Follow Along

Foley City Council work sessions and regular meetings are open to the public and are held in the Council Chambers at Foley City Hall, 407 E. Laurel Avenue. Residents who want to speak during public hearings, such as the nuisance declarations on this agenda, can attend in person. Agendas, minutes and other public notices are posted by the city, and residents with questions about specific items can contact Foley City Hall.

Many of the items on Monday’s agenda, particularly the Magnolia Walk agreements, the improvement district petition and the Highway 98 pedestrian project, represent steps in longer processes. Further details on financing, construction schedules and contract terms are expected to emerge as those projects move forward.