Baldwin County Looks At Long-Term Growth

Buford King, assistant Baldwin County planning director, talks to local residents at a public meeting on the county long-range land use plan. The meeting in Elberta was one of four held July 11 and 12 to discuss the plan. | photo by Guy Busby via Gulf Coast Media

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. — The Baldwin County Commission is preparing a long-range plan to manage the growth expected in the county over the next two decades, Gulf Coast Media reported. As part of the preparation, officials and consultants have been meeting with residents in a series of public and online meetings to find ways to manage future development and change. Glenn Walters, a consultant with Design Workshop, which is working with the county on the plan, said more than 3,000 residents have talked to planners or studied the process on the plan website. Development of a “guidebook,” serving as a new plan that will apply in unincorporated areas of Baldwin County that have zoning, is part of the process. From housing fewer than 100,000 people 30 years ago, Baldwin County’s population now exceeds 230,000 and is expected to top 300,000 by 2040.