Orange Beach Puts Large Residential Projects On Hold

The City of Orange Beach has enacted a nine-month moratorium on large-scale residential projects in an effort to stop development long enough to assess what the future holds for this fast-growing beach town and its strained infrastructure, AL.com reports. The moratorium on multifamily dwellings and single-family residential subdivisions with three or more lots with 9,000 ft² does not apply to the city’s beachfront, which is home to large condominium towers. Slowing the growth comes as Baldwin County remains atop the state’s rankings as its fastest-growing county. “The growth in Baldwin County is beyond the norm,” Mayor Tony Kennon said. “We all know that. Gone unchecked, we will either be catching up or we won’t be able to catch up. What we are trying to do is get ahead of the growth and evaluate the infrastructure.” In the coming weeks, Orange Beach officials are to approve a contract with a company that will assess the city’s assets and infrastructure and see how current and future growth will affect it.