City of Foley Pauses New High-Density Construction
By Dale Hines
Blue RAM Media
May 7, 2025
FOLEY, Ala. The City of Foley has now joined Orange Beach and Fairhope is slowing down construction on residential developments.
The new ordinance puts a temporary pause on residential subdivisions, multi-family housing, RV parks, mobile home parks, and rezoning requests that would increase residential density.
Though the move is not meant to stifle growth, it is aimed at protecting Foley’s small-town character while ensuring future development meets the community’s expectations for quality and design.
Projects that are already underway or have already been approved will not be under this new ordinance, however, no new residential development will be approved for the time being stated by the city council. The city will focus on refining its zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and other land development policies.
City leaders stated that this effort directly supports the City’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, which outlines five strategic priorities. The first—Livable Community—states:
“We will manage and keep pace with our growth with well thought out plans and a regulatory framework that is fair, predictable, sustainable, and consistently applied to create and maintain a high-quality built environment.”
The plan’s implementation framework includes initiatives to review and modernize land development regulations. This temporary measure allows the city to carry out those efforts responsibly ensuring that future growth occurs in appropriate locations and meets high standards.
“We recognize that Foley’s success and attractiveness as a place to live have brought substantial residential development, but this growth must be balanced with our ability to protect the character of our community,” said Mayor Ralph Hellmich. “This ordinance is a necessary step to give us time to update our plans and policies in a thoughtful, strategic way.”
The pause will remain in effect through Oct. 1, 2025, for new subdivisions and RV/mobile home park applications, and through Jan. 1, 2026, for more complex rezonings of residential and mixed-use projects.
This action reflects Foley’s commitment to preserving its unique identity while planning responsibly for high-quality, well-integrated development in the years ahead.
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