CITIZENS FIGHTING BACK
Baldwin County is changing, for the better, when it comes to public participation and citizens standing up to local municipal governments who have traditionally run roughshod over it’s own citizens. In the past small municipalities in Baldwin County did “their own thing”, when it came down to running city government. Mayors and Councils, sometime just the Mayor or just the council, would bully issues and controversial projects, through the process of approval, crying all the time to the citizens, that their was nothing they could do.
GROWTH is their karma. In the last 10 years Baldwin County has grown in some area’s by 50%. This represents the “carpetbaggers” and those “not from here”, so says the same power brokers stepping on your Constitutional rights of freedom of speech.
Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fairhope are in the forefront of citizens questioning their municipal government.
https://lagniappemobile.com/south-baldwin-residents-told-flyover-bridge-plans-changed/
“they’re finally going to let the citizens in on this and they are suppose to let everyone know what’s going on” resident Mike Powell said.
https://lagniappemobile.com/will-gulf-shores-site-plan-review-make-a-difference/
the same U.S. Census Bureau data placed the negative impact on apartments at 13.8% and, the same study found a the negative impact of a “Strip Club” at 14.7% and a “Homeless Shelter” at 12.7%. Finding yourself on a survey of negative impact (dragging down your property values) right between a “Strip Club” and a “Homeless Shelter” is NOT a good place to be.
- The cumulative effect of a decrease in property values as a result of a high density apartment complex is staggering. At just the Enclave alone,property values could expect to decline by over $3,000,000 (or $25,345 per unit) due to the construction of the Regency Pace Apartments next door. [Average current unit price of $185,000 x 126 units x 13.7% = $3,193,470]
Over 625 citizens have signed petitions and over 94% of those polled are against the apartments being located among single family homes. The government of Gulf Shores continues to push through apartments ignoring the citizens concerns, all while limiting their input.
The same thing happened in Fairhope where citizens were able to do what their elected city council could not.
In Fairhope the “Catalyst” Council President mocked the citizens and Mayor when the citizens started asking questions.
The same “Catalyst” Council and Council President even took the extreme move of not allowing, yours truly, the ability to speak at a public forum.
These small town municipalities have counted on the citizens NOT participating. The table is shifting and the good ole boy mentality is eroding with each new resident to Baldwin County.