Fairhope Infrastructure

Fairhope has had a water shortage for the last three years running. The sewer and infrastructure projects that were approved in 2020 have yet to be completed and we are in year 5. The sewer plant is beyond capacity and still discharges into the Bay. Growth has exploded with over a 1000 homes, condo and townhouses already approved for the future. Schools are bursting at the seams and municipalities are abandoning the public schools. Traffic has increased without any new roads. Lawsuits against the city are now in vogue again, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

On top of all this Fairhope and 68 Ventures have been in a legal pissing contest for the last couple of years.

“The motion states 68 Ventures started “secretly recording commissioners, private citizens and staff” after the commission denied the Skyline and Gables applications before filing their lawsuit.”

In an affidavit signed in March, Hollie MacKellar, a planning commissioner and local real estate agent, said roughly one month after she voted against the Gables project, a couple from Atlanta contacted her about moving to Fairhope. She said she helped them look for a home in the area for many months.

“Unbeknownst to me, the Cuttinghams were impostors that were hired by 68V to secretly record me and attempt to entrap me into making statements against Nathan Cox, 68V and the Gables at Lawrence project,” MacKellar wrote in the affidavit. “I have since learned that almost all of what they told me was a lie, including their made-up cover story involving a pretend family and false reasons for contacting me.”

In the latest court filing, the City of Fairhope denied or did not respond to the accusations. In a motion to dismiss, the city maintained it has the right to deny the developments. The city of Fairhope said 68 Ventures is “attempting to turn a run-of-the-mill land use dispute over administrative denials into a constitutional case. But the facts alleged and documents submitted by 68V in the Complaint fail to allege a plausible cause of action against Defendants.”

Fairhope violates its own rules more than anyone else and is known to favor selected developers. Developers put the Mayor and Council in office now Fairhope citizens are paying the price.

Now here is the kicker, 68 ventures has now bought the land from Hix/Snedeker who had got the property annexed into the city as well as obtaining an approved {PUD} planned unit development. It now appears that 68 ventures not only bought the land but the approved PUD. Oh by the way Snedeker is the Fairhope Municipal Judge. So how does this work you sue the city and raise hell for 2 years and then you decide to buy one of the largest undeveloped commercial properties in Fairhope from the Fairhope municipal judge?? Ya smell anything?

The development, “Park City,” would be located at the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Highway 181, which is near the city’s Walmart Supercenter and Aldi.

The property already has an approved PUD from the previous owners, but instead of being a dense, multi-use village, it would have had “big box stores” on the perimeter and houses in the middle, said Jonathan Gray, a consultant on the project.

“Everybody always wants to say their project’s different, but what we typically see when we go to planning commission meetings is it’ll be like, ‘Oh, we’re going to put in more trees’ or, ‘We’re going to use rear entry for the condo,’” said Gray. “But what I haven’t seen is this kind of architectural application to it. This is really a replication of Downtown Fairhope, maybe old Downtown Mobile or New Orleans — areas where you’re seeing these themes come together.”

68 Ventures wasted no time in name dropping Senator Katie Britt as one of there investors. Politicians cashing in on their elected position, that is nothing new in Alabama.

Investors in the project include U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL). According to Capitoltrades.com, she reported the purchase of $33,000 stock in 68V 181-Fairhope Avenue 2023, LLC. Dec. 15, 2023. The purchase was made Dec. 14, 2023.

As currently presented, the proposed Park Village will have a density of close to 700 dwelling units made up of 94 townhouse lots, 62 cottage lots and 272 multifamily rentals in standalone buildings and above commercial spaces (in the mixed-use area). One section was presented as an “active adult multifamily” area (geared toward 55-year-old and older residents) that would have 134 flats and 17 cottages. One-half of the overall dwelling units will be rentals and the other half will be for sale properties built in phases.

Jon Gray, 68 Ventures public relations representative who also represents Baldwin County Schools, was quick to point out that 68 Ventures is the only developer in the area that works with Baldwin County Schools and meets quarterly to let them know areas they are looking to develop. This project is no different. Gray said 68 ventures are in talks with Baldwin County School to discuss a possible land swap to build a school like they did for Stonebridge Elementary.

Jon Grey is 68 Ventures Public Relations representative and at the same time is the Baldwin County Schools representative. Talk about conflict of interest or buttering your bread on both sides, Mr Grey is making bank and I will guarantee that Mr Grey will look at all the new students this project will produce and assure all of us public peasants that there is no problem. Get ready for the Baldwin County School System needing another 1% tax or Fairhope making it’s 5th attempt to form a separate school system. Mr. Grey’s soul is for sale, for the right price.

Thatcher mentioned they are planning the submit to the planning commission next month. If they make the May 21 deadline, the project could come before the commission July 1.

This project is designed and marketed to draw business from downtown Fairhope. Fairhope your quality of life is for sale.