DAPHNE, Ala. — Initial steps to re-establishing the Downtown Redevelopment Authority have been taken as the City Council appointed three members — Mary Beth Mantiply, Doug Bailey and Kelly Hughes — to the board at its March 1 business meeting.

“I’m thrilled that we’re moving forward,” Councilwoman Cathy Barnette, who serves as a liaison to the authority, said. “We have the opportunity to have seven board members. We’ve started with three to get things moving.

“My hope is that we’ll take on smaller, more manageable projects and as they have small successes, we can start to build momentum,” she said.

Barnette added that the authority has a master plan in mind for Olde Towne Daphne that may include retail boutiques and added greenspace.

New blood, new voices

Mantiply, a Fairhope attorney, said she’s excited to build on the efforts provided by the former authority’s members.

“The last DRA worked long and hard and had a vision for the city,” Mantiply said.  Unfortunately, that vision did not gel into reality. I would like to build on their work, get their input and the input of anyone interested in our city and move forward.

“As we are all aware, times have changed, income streams have dwindled and in some cases, dried up,” she said. “It is now apparent to most people that a city has to offer something special, something unique and desirable, to lure new residents, shops and businesses to its area.”

Mantiply said quality of life is connected to how a city grows and develops its natural assets.

“We have had the time to think about the desirability of ‘good growth’ for our area and to appreciate it and know that it will take a financial investment, commitment and lots of cooperation to make it happen,” she said, adding that such cooperation can be achieved using clear lines of communication between the authority’s interests and the administration’s support.

Bailey, an engineer with Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch, said responsible planning is necessary for redeveloping downtown.

“Inevitably, Daphne will and must grow to some degree to survive and prosper,” he said. “I would like to participate in aiding Daphne to grow responsibly through the attraction of businesses in the appropriate areas while maintaining the integrity and charm of the downtown community that I remember as a child.”

Maintaining Olde Towne Daphne’s identity as the city’s center is a top priority, he said.

“I would like to see the areas that radiate from downtown Daphne be beautified and take on the feel of downtown so there is a transition between the (U.S.) Highway 98 corridor and downtown,” he said. “I am referring mainly to the Daphne Avenue approach into downtown. Of course, traffic and parking will continue to be issues that will have to be addressed, too.” 

Hughes echoed Barnette’s comments about starting out with more manageable projects.

“I’d like us to focus on smaller projects to get enthusiasm up and get recognition for the downtown area,” she said.

The first time around

Last June, all seven members of the former Downtown Redevelopment Authority submitted a joint letter of resignation citing inability to access funding for projects as reasoning for leaving.

“It is apparent that the leadership of Daphne does not support our vision,” former chairman Kit Smith wrote in the submitted resignation letter to Mayor Fred Small. “We believe we have given it a good try but it is not possible to accomplish anything of consequence without a cash flow.”

The letter indicates the DRA’s failed attempt to redirect a portion of the lodging tax to its fund as well as not being able to raise enthusiasm for redeveloping Olde Towne Daphne as causes for separation.

Last fall, the City Council approved redirecting a percentage of the lodging tax fund to support the DRA in its efforts to redevelop downtown.

“The previous board had no funding,” Barnette said. “The 5 percent from the lodging tax is a great start, a confidence-booster.”

“The new DRA will have the ability to use the funding as seed money for fundraising efforts or as matching funds for grant programs that may be available,” Bailey said.

Hughes agreed.

“I do know we have access to funding and I think we’ll use that to build momentum,” she said.   

Council President August Palumbo said the last year’s authority’s request to bury underground power lines in Olde Towne Daphne was an unwise use of city funds.

“The frustration of the former board was their inability to secure funds to bury power lines underground on Main Street,” Palumbo said. “This, in my opinion, was not a good use of city funds considering the exorbitant costs involved. I believe the majority of the council concurred and the funding effort was rejected.”  

Still, city leaders debated re-establishing the DRA at an October work session.

Bailey said the former DRA members’ efforts were not in vain.

“The previous DRA managed to accomplish significant beautification of the downtown area and establish vision and awareness … that there is a need to preserve our downtown area and thus the character of the city as so many residents and visitors see it,” Bailey said.

While Palumbo said he was disappointed in the former board’s “all-or-nothing” resignation, he expressed hope for re-establishing a revitalizing force in Olde Towne Daphne.

“(The council) is now moving forward in hopes that a new board can take a more optimistic and realistic approach to the redevelopment of downtown Daphne,” Palumbo said.