A planned sidewalk extension along North Cedar Street will help create approximately three miles of connected walkways, improving pedestrian access to schools, parks and neighborhoods throughout Foley.
The Foley City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with a developer to help fund the construction of approximately 1,000 feet of new sidewalks along North Cedar Street, from West Peachtree Avenue to Village Square Boulevard.
The agreement is associated with a previously approved planned unit development phase within Live Oak Village.
City Engineer Taylor Davis said Foley’s Technical Design Manual requires developers to construct sidewalks along streets where subdivisions are built. However, building a sidewalk along Baldwin County 24 near the development would offer limited benefits to pedestrians.
Baldwin County maintains County 24, which does not have other sidewalks along that stretch of road. Connecting a sidewalk there to Foley’s existing pedestrian network would also require constructing a pedestrian bridge over the Magnolia River near the municipal airport.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said directing the developer’s contribution toward the Cedar Street extension will provide a more practical and beneficial connection for residents.
“If it had been built on 24, it would have gone from the northern entrance over to the bridge and stopped there. It would have gone nowhere,” Hellmich said. “This makes more sense for everybody.”
Once the extension is complete, Foley will have approximately three miles of connected sidewalks along Cedar Street, stretching from Live Oak Village to Ninth Avenue.
The expanded pedestrian network will provide access to three schools and two public parks, creating more opportunities for residents to walk between neighborhoods and community destinations.