FOLEY — An updated Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Foley Planning Commission will help guide development as the city continues to grow and plan for the future.
The new Comprehensive Plan builds on policies established in the 2008 Comprehensive Plan and the 2022 Foley Forward Plan. City officials said the document serves as a long-term blueprint to ensure growth reflects Foley’s character while providing clear, consistent expectations for development.
Wayne Dyess, Foley Executive Director for Infrastructure and Development, said the plan is designed to help the city manage change in a thoughtful and predictable way.
“We believe this Comprehensive Plan acts as a blueprint for high-quality growth by ensuring development occurs in the appropriate locations and reflects the intended context, character and development pattern,” Dyess said. “It also establishes a development process that is transparent and predictable, with clear standards and expectations that allow applicants, residents and decision makers to understand what is required and how decisions will be made.”
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the plan provides important guidance for developers before projects are proposed.
“That’s the kind of guidance that a plan like this gives developers up front before they even bring us a project,” Hellmich said. “It’s important, and this will help the Planning Commission.”
The Comprehensive Plan addresses a wide range of priorities, including quality of life, sense of place, transportation, connectivity, sustainable and balanced growth, environmental stewardship and predictable development.
Foley Planning Manager Shawn Mitchell said the plan goes beyond traditional zoning by identifying where growth should be concentrated and by encouraging mixed-use development and improved connectivity.
One of the plan’s core principles is to focus the greatest density near the city center, with development intensity gradually decreasing farther from downtown.
“As you go from highest density and intensity of uses in the downtown core and move out toward the periphery, density and intensity should decline,” Mitchell said. “If you’re close to the center, it makes sense to have higher density, multi-family and mixed-use development. As you move out, you should have larger lots and a more rural character.”
Mitchell said Foley’s planning efforts draw inspiration from the city’s original layout more than a century ago.
“We relied heavily on the downtown model and the way things were laid out in the original Foley plan,” she said. “When we’re planning new nodes along Alabama 59 or the Foley Beach Express, they should follow many of the same principles we see downtown, such as compact street grids, transportation-oriented design, mixed residential and commercial uses, and open civic spaces.”
Current city projects continue to reinforce those principles in downtown Foley. Civic investments, including the new library and improvements along South Chicago Street, emphasize parks, open spaces, civic areas and connectivity.
The plan also promotes pedestrian-friendly development, with attractions and destinations located within a five- to 10-minute walk in the central area. Transportation and traffic flow are key considerations as well.
“We want to facilitate connectivity that cuts down on traffic and improves emergency response,” Mitchell said. “We’re working closely with the Engineering Department to envision what streets should look like, because streets in residential areas differ from those in commercial or mixed-use centers.”
Dyess said the Comprehensive Plan will guide city decisions for years to come and provide tools to measure progress.
“This Comprehensive Plan will not only guide high-quality growth well into the future, but it will also provide a clear framework for ongoing evaluation through measurable performance metrics,” Dyess said. “It establishes expectations for public projects and capital improvements that coordinate with private development, creating a consistently high-quality environment in areas such as downtown and other key corridors and centers.”
He added that the plan includes an implementation roadmap that will inform future updates to the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations and Technical Design Manual to ensure city standards align with the adopted land-use and character vision.
“The Comprehensive Plan, as the city’s primary land-use planning document, directly stems from the City’s Strategic Plan adopted last year and advances the Livable Communities objective,” Dyess said.