Foley Community Library Opens, Welcomes First Visitors
The doors of the new Foley Community Library officially opened Tuesday, Aug. 4, welcoming hundreds of residents eager to explore the city's new $20-million community resource. The 40,000-square-foot library and community center marks the completion of more than three years of planning and construction to create a facility designed to serve Foley's growing population for decades to come. Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the new building reflects the city's commitment to meeting the community's future needs. "We have doubled the size of this library," Hellmich said. "It is now 40,000 square feet. It has [...]
Foley sets agenda for Aug. 3 City Council meeting
The Foley City Council will hold its regular work session and meeting Monday, Aug. 3. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in the council chambers at Foley City Hall. Among the items on the agenda are: A public hearing to consider an ordinance to amend the Magnolia Walk East Development District, owned by SCP/BPG Magnolia Holdings by removing approximately 23.56 acres. A public hearing to consider an ordinance rezoning property owned by SCP/BPG Magnolia Holdings from planned development district, PDD, to extended business district, B-1A. A proclamation declaring Aug 2 through Aug. [...]
Foley approves annual road resurfacing program
More than four miles of Foley streets are scheduled for resurfacing during the coming year under the city's annual road improvement program approved by the Foley City Council. The council authorized the city to seek bids to resurface 4.76 lane miles of streets as part of the 2026-2027 paving program. The city will also request bids for an additional 1.54 lane miles of resurfacing as an alternate project if funding is available. Among the streets included in the primary resurfacing program are Lakeview Drive from Carnoustie Drive to Baldwin County 12 and West [...]
Foley improving city airport
Improvements to drainage at the Foley Municipal Airport are moving forward following action by the Foley City Council to approve construction and accept state and federal grant funding. The council accepted the bid of RH Deas Co. for the drainage improvement project. The company submitted the lowest bid at $249,971. The council also accepted grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Aeronautics Bureau to help fund the work. The FAA will provide $287,000, while ALDOT will contribute $7,553. Together, the grants are expected to cover about [...]
Foley dedicates new Public Works Campus
Foley's Public Works Department and other city divisions are now operating from a new campus designed to support the community's continued growth and strengthen emergency response capabilities for decades to come. City officials celebrated the opening of the new Public Works Campus on Monday, July 27, at the intersection of North Poplar Street and East Section Avenue. Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the five-building, 14-acre campus replaces facilities were no longer adequate for the needs of a growing city. "When the previous public works facility opened in 1991, Foley had about 7,300 residents," Hellmich [...]
Foley making crosswalks safer near schools, downtown on U.S. 98
Crossing U.S. 98 in downtown Foley will soon be safer for school children and other pedestrians as the city moves forward with improvements at several key intersections. The Foley City Council approved funding for pedestrian safety upgrades at Cedar Street, Oak Street, Pine Street, Chicago Street and the Perry Wilbourne Antique Rose Trail crossing. The project will improve crossings used daily by students traveling to and from Foley Elementary School, Foley Middle School and Florence B. Mathis Elementary School. The improvements will include flashing pedestrian beacons at several intersections to alert motorists when [...]
New Foley library opens Aug. 4 with expanded services, activities
When Foley's Public Library reopens in a new building Tuesday, Aug. 4, the new center will not just have twice the space of its former home, but will offer more services and activities in its expanded facility. The new library will be about 40,000 square feet in size. The expanded center includes a sensory room, separate children's and teens’ activity areas. The facility will feature a special area for young readers, the Children's Story Grove. The new library building will include a sensory room, separate children's and teens’ activity areas, a STEAM-STEM lab, [...]
Tropical Storm Bertha expected to begin affecting Foley today
Foley is under a tropical storm warning as the effects of Tropical Storm Bertha are expected to begin affecting the region Tuesday. The City of Foley is monitoring Tropical Storm Bertha as the system moves across the northern Gulf of Mexico. A tropical storm warning means that winds of at least 39 miles per hour are expected within 36 hours. The winds may be accompanied by storm surge, coastal flooding and river flooding. At 7 a.m. Monday, July 21, the storm was about 175 miles southeast of Mobile. At 10 a.m., the storm [...]
Foley Lowers Speed Limit on Irwin Street to Improve Access for Low-Speed Vehicles
The City of Foley has reduced the speed limit on Irwin Street to make the roadway accessible to state-approved low-speed vehicles while improving connections to nearby areas. The Foley City Council gave final approval to an ordinance lowering the speed limit on Irwin Street from 40 mph to 35 mph. Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the change allows low-speed vehicles to legally travel the roadway under Alabama law. "That will make that street consistent with the requirements for these vehicles," Hellmich said. "Any low-speed motor vehicle that's approved by the state will be able [...]
Foley City Council agenda set for July 20 meeting
The Foley City Council will hold its regular work session and meeting Monday, July 20. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in the council chambers at Foley City Hall. Among the items on the agenda are: A public hearing to declare weeds and the accumulation of junk to be a public nuisance and ordering its abatement on West Fig Avenue. A public hearing to declare weeds, trash and stagnant water to be a public nuisance and ordering its abatement on West Palm Avenue. The presentation of Foley Revitalization and Beautification Awards. Monthly [...]