663-Home Preserve at Rock Creek Goes Before Loxley Planners at Oct. 29 Hearing

LOXLEY, Ala. — A proposed subdivision that could bring 663 new homes to the Loxley area will go before the Loxley Planning Commission for a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. The Preserve at Rock Creek, a planned single-family development covering about 247 acres, is seeking planned unit development pre-zoning ahead of a possible annexation into the town.

According to the commission’s meeting agenda, the property lies between Cabinet Shop Road and County Road 65, south of Hinote Glass Road. The land is currently zoned rural agricultural under Baldwin County zoning. The applicant is asking the town for PUD pre-zoning in anticipation of future annexation into Loxley.

The request is listed as Item 7 on the agenda under case number ZC26-06.

The Preserve at Rock Creek at a glance

• Proposal: The Preserve at Rock Creek, a single-family residential subdivision
• Size: 663 lots on approximately 247 acres
• Location: Between Cabinet Shop Road and County Road 65, south of Hinote Glass Road
• Current zoning: Rural agricultural (Baldwin County)
• Request: Planned unit development (PUD) pre-zoning in anticipation of annexation into Loxley
• Case number: ZC26-06, Item 7 on the agenda
• Hearing: Loxley Planning Commission regular meeting, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29

On paper, 663 lots on about 247 acres works out to roughly 2.7 lots per acre across the whole tract, though planned developments typically set aside part of their land for streets, drainage and common areas, so individual lots are usually smaller than that average suggests.

What PUD pre-zoning means

A planned unit development, or PUD, is a zoning tool that lets a developer propose a master-planned project as a single unit. Instead of following the standard lot sizes, setbacks and other rules of a conventional zoning district, a PUD is governed by a site-specific plan and a set of standards that the local government reviews and approves. PUDs often include a mix of lot sizes, open space, amenities and internal roads, and they are usually built in phases.

Pre-zoning is a step taken before land is brought into a city or town. Because the Rock Creek property is outside Loxley’s limits, the town does not yet control its zoning; the land falls under Baldwin County’s rural agricultural designation. Pre-zoning lets the town decide in advance what zoning the property would carry if it is annexed, so that the developer, the town and neighbors know what would be allowed before annexation moves forward.

Annexation is the process by which a municipality extends its boundaries to take in adjacent land. In Alabama, property owners can petition a city or town to annex their land, and the municipal council makes the final decision. Once annexed, property comes under the town’s zoning, services and regulations.

How the public hearing works

At the Oct. 29 meeting, residents will have an opportunity to hear details about the proposal and to offer public comments before the commission discusses and acts on the request.

Public hearings before a planning commission generally follow a similar pattern: town staff or the applicant presents the proposal, members of the public are invited to speak for or against it, and commissioners then discuss the request and vote. Planning commissions in Alabama typically make recommendations to the town council on zoning matters, and the council takes the final vote on zoning changes and on any annexation.

Residents who plan to speak often find it helpful to:

• Review the meeting agenda and any posted application materials in advance.
• Arrive early and sign in if the commission uses a speaker list.
• Keep comments focused on the specific request, such as traffic, drainage, schools, lot sizes or compatibility with nearby properties.
• Refer to the case number, ZC26-06, when submitting written comments or questions to town staff.

Growth pressures in central Baldwin County

The Rock Creek proposal is the latest large residential project to surface in Baldwin County, which has been the fastest-growing county in Alabama in recent years. Loxley, located along Interstate 10 and Alabama 59 in central Baldwin County, sits within easy reach of the Eastern Shore, Mobile and the beaches, making the surrounding farmland attractive for new subdivisions.

Growth outside town limits has become a frequent topic at local government meetings across the county. Earlier this month, the Baldwin County Commission approved a 180-day moratorium on rezoning requests in the county’s zoned unincorporated areas, citing a backlog of rezoning cases and the need to update the county’s master plan. That moratorium applies to county zoning; zoning inside incorporated towns, including land that a town pre-zones for annexation, is handled by each municipality.

What happens next

After the hearing, the planning commission is expected to discuss the request and take action. Any decision on zoning and annexation would ultimately involve the Loxley Town Council. If the project moves forward, the developer would still need to submit more detailed plans, such as subdivision plats and engineering for roads and drainage, before construction could begin.

The public hearing is scheduled during the Loxley Planning Commission’s regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Residents can contact Loxley Town Hall for meeting location details and to review the agenda.