Comprehensive Plan Charade

The Ripp Report
11/14/14

Since 2001, the city of Fairhope has been conducting “reviews” of the comprehensive plan, which is connected to the master plan. These meetings are usually advertised through the city and media, and attendance is good. Citizens are given the warm and fuzzy feeling about taking part in the city’s future and their quality of life. Currently a series of meetings is being held, public participation is encouraged, comments and written surveys are recorded. Sounds so Norman Rockwell however did you know it’s costing us 80 thousand dollars for this update by an engineering firm. Remember this is just an update to an already published comprehensive plan. Since the first plan, there has been little change in the minds of Fairhope citizens as to where and what they expect.

Reality is that it is the city that strays from the plan and ordinances, time and time again. Usually this has involved the Mayor and some sweetheart deal for a developer that is also a contributor of the Mayor. The comprehensive plan talks about a village concept. Each village being approximately 10 minutes apart within city limits. Where are the villages?

The Publix project is suppose to be a village? Fly creek is still full red mud and debris from the construction. The project is a strip center which has never come close to full occupancy. The original proposals painted an entirely different picture than the final project.

How about the 11.5 million dollar lawsuit we lost, resulting in the taxpayers footing the bill. The city is telling you this is a park, and it was only 8.75 million. What they are not telling you, is it cost US, 3.25 million in legal fees. The PUBLIC had no input in the decision; in fact the city went out of the way, to avoid public Participation. The new plan is to apply for Restore Act funds from BP under the guise of; Mobile Bay Preservation and Restoration; Lower Fly Creek Reach Project, where the city is requesting 14.5 million, to make up their losses. The city is also requesting 49 million in restore act funds for: Fairhope’s Coastal Environmental Education Network, that’s a grand total of 76.2 million in park projects in a town of 16 thousand, I am sure they will make it FIT into the new comp. plan.

The same land owner involved in the Publix project is giving the city a piece of land behind Publix for a fire station. This is a major improvement for HIS development plans. Parker Road is a dead end street, joining the most dangerous intersection in Fairhope. This project failed in 09, due to safety concerns and the appearance of a good ole boy deal. This is an insane location for the fire station; remember we now own the triangle, a much better location, that we paid 11.5 million due to the loss of the lawsuit. Mayor Kant plans a back door deal to avoid public participation or any input, just to satisfy his friend and contributor. This is a totally corrupt deal where the Mayor is prostituting the city for the sake a developer and a piece of land.

The Comprehensive Plan states on page 48 Sec 5.4 Neighborhoods under design guidelines: “Cul-de-sacs or dead end streets should be avoided, except for topographic constraints or important natural features make connections impractical. However, local streets should discourage through traffic either through narrow cross sections, off-set or “T” intersections, or other traffic-calming devices.” I can’t wait to see how that 80 thousand dollar re-write by the engineering company is going spin the fire station into the new Comp. Plan.

What about Knoll Park or the gas sign at Wal-Mart, the stripping of trees at south drive, Rock Creek, and let’s not forget the last 10 years TALKING about the development and zoning of Greeno Road. The first Baptist Church has trashed the very concept of a comprehensive plan, tearing down houses for parking lots and violating the comprehensive plan while the Mayor looks the other way for a few votes.

The comprehensive plan has one major obstacle, Mayor Tim Kant, he should be supplying KY to all Fairhope citizens that are losing MILLIONS in tax dollars, due to his favoritism and bad decisions.

Francis Paul Ripp