Fly Creek Becomes Developer's Drainage Ditch

Fly Creek becomes developer’s drainage ditch, with Mayor Kant’s approval.

I really had not planned to write anything negative during Christmas holidays; however Fairhope’s Mayor Tim Kant is using the Christmas holidays as an opportunity to deceive the citizens of Fairhope.

In an effort to eliminate public participation and use the holidays to limit any notice to the public, Mayor Kant is using his control of planning and zoning to slip in a change of zoning for the Fly Creek PUD, the Publix property.

This is a typical sneaky tactic the Mayor uses to keep the public in the dark while facilitating a good ole boy deal with his favorite donor and developer, Arthur Corte.

Last year it was the settlement of the triangle lawsuit that cost us 12 million. At the center of the lawsuit was the limitation put on the landowners as to what would be acceptable use. The city rejected all the projects proposed; one was a performing arts center.

Now the Mayor is supporting a project he would have opposed, had it been a different land owner. He, the Mayor is behind the deliberate manipulation of notification and will shove this down our throats with his total control of planning and zoning.

Absolutely no environmental study will be done. All previous damage to Fly Creek will be ignored, as well as violations with the original project.

Fly Creek will become a drainage ditch, costing taxpayers annually with costs related to damage and dredging. At this very moment the Fly Creek Marina is being dredged of materials forced down the creek related to the original damage from the Publix construction.

The Preliminary and final plat approval is scheduled for Jan. 5th. The project will be for 285 apartments and 15 townhomes, it will be the death of Fly Creek. Anyone living on the creek will see their property values affected.

All elected officials and city employees supporting this project will be betraying the public trust and should suffer the consequences of termination.

We are requesting the city to reschedule this very important issue for the February meeting, allowing public participation and careful consideration of the enormous amount of water runoff destined for Fly Creek.

The City Council was not even aware that this zoning change was scheduled for Jan. this is the Mayor making decisions for us without hearing from us.

Much more information will be forthcoming, we encourage you to share this information and please lobby the council to change this meeting to February.

If you live in Fairhope and pay taxes this project affects YOU.