>> BALDWIN COUNTY
Baldwin County ‘s Board of Commissioners and staff have been working on a new land use concept and map for about a year, and that project is nearly done, though no timetable for completion has been established.
Land use district mapping and land use documents were two topics discussed at the planning retreat, June 26. County officials are trying to create a land use plan and utilize the existing land use code to deal with anticipated development, including larger acreage residential projects.
County Manager Carlos Tobar explained that the new land use map he and the board have been working on will feature several different classifications of property use.
For example, R-1-R is the most restrictive land use classification, allowing only the traditional ‘stick-built’ homes, while R-1 is less restrictive. It will allow double-wide mobile homes.
R-2, he explained, will allow “smaller, starter homes”, which would include single-wide mobile homes.
According to Tobar, current use of an area may determine what classification it is assigned.
“Commissioner (Johnny) Westmoreland has an area on the lake that has some singlewides and double-wides. And, that area, he would still designate that R-1, so you wouldn’t be able to put in a single-wide, but you would be able to put in a double-wide,” Tobar said.
County Commission Chairperson Emily Davis said District 1 is an area that should include mobile homes.
“In the Oconee Heights area and Harrisburg area, mobile homes are very plentiful. So, we would allow mobile homes there.
Maybe not on Harrisburg Road, but in other areas around there,” Davis said.
Tobar, noting commercial areas will be included, said another classification of residential development is increasing substantially.
“Then, you have the Planned Unit Developments (PUD),” he said. “We’re working on them. We’re looking for an interim solution because we’ve got a lot of folks interested in large-scale residential developments in the county.”
Tobar said the land use code should be amended, as the need arises, regardless of the adoption of the land use map.
“We need to update what we currently have, to make sure we address certain issues that have arisen. We want to get that done, regardless of what happens to the district land -based use,” Tobar said.
Reportedly, decreasing the required open space area for PUDs and restricting lots under two acres in size to one dwelling are two amendments being proposed to update the code. Tobar anticipates drafts of the amendments being prepared for commissioners’ review and public hearings set within days.
“Whether we go to district-based land use or not, having one dwelling per parcel under two acres, that’s a must. We’ve got to have that. That will, if we get it passed, that will be effective from that date going forward,” Tobar said.
Current regulations require, what is considered by many, excessive acreage to be set aside in larger developments.
“For large subdivisions, basically planned unit developments, we require 50 percent must be open space, or green space. That’s just too much. We’ve suffered negative consequences by having that requirement, so we have dropped that down significantly,” Tobar said. “The new requirement of open space would be only five percent, and that area must be accessible to everyone, such as a park.”
While Tobar feels the project is near completion, he is not willing to say when the districtbased land use plan and map will be adopted.
“We have a map, but we have not released it to the public yet; we’ve got to work out a few more details…We know we’ve got some things that are very pressing in terms of our ordinances,” which, Tobar explained, will take a considerable amount of commissioners’ time.
“We haven’t voted on it,” Davis added. “We still have to vote on it, and we have to let the public see the map.”
Tobar also pointed to the number of projects that affect staff members’ schedules, commenting that the balance of the year will be a very busy time for his office.
“We’re up to 20 capital projects that we’re working on. And we’re going to be very busy from August through the end of the year. So, a lot of it will depend on our staff time, how much time we have to sit down with the commissioners and iron out the last few details,” Tobar said.