FAIRHOPE — A proposed development that would bring more than 400 homes to 148 acres along Alabama Highway 104 near Fish River was postponed for six months after the Fairhope Planning Commission voted Monday night to hold it over.

The request, brought by a Baton Rouge developer, seeks to annex the property into the city as a planned unit development, or PUD, allowing for 413 housing units. The land is currently zoned rural agriculture in Baldwin County and includes Pensacola Branch, which flows into Fish River.

After a lengthy presentation from city staff and public comment, the commission approved a motion to delay the project for six months.

Planning Director Hunter Simmons told commissioners at the outset that staff was not prepared to recommend approval and intended to seek a holdover.

"Staff does intend … we recommend holding this over," Simmons said. "This is a very large project with a lot of detailed parts."

Simmons said the proposal spans more than 148 acres and includes a master development plan totaling hundreds of pages. While he said there are "merits within this proposal," he added that "there are certainly components within this current proposed PUD that as staff we don't agree with, and if we had to make a call tonight, our recommendation would be denial."

He pointed to concerns about lot coverage, parking configurations and whether certain design elements align with the city's comprehensive plan. The property falls within a suburban residential "place type" under the plan, which envisions larger lots and lower-intensity development.

He also raised questions about the timing of amenities within the

proposed phasing plan and whether some lot layouts were intended to increase density.

"This is one meeting. One and done for this size of a project, is optimistic," Simmons said.

During public comment, Wade Perry, community engagement director for Mobile Baykeeper, urged the commission to reject the project outright.

"We believe this is a terrible, terrible proposal for the community, for the environment," Perry said.

Referring to wetlands on the site, Perry said, "Have you ever heard of any wetlands getting better with 400 more roofs, more parking, tennis courts, roads? It doesn't happen."

He also suggested the proposal had faced resistance at the county level.

"I think it is a terrible look for Fairhope to green light something that Baldwin County was about to nix," Perry said.

Linda Smith, who said her family has owned 30 acres adjacent to the property for decades, described repeated flooding along Pensacola Branch and Highway 104. She shared photos and videos from recent rain events and Hurricane Danny in 1997.

"All of this water that's rushing through this property goes into Pensacola Branch, which empties into Fish River," Smith said.

Holding up images of floodwaters, she added, "What we're having, the water that's coming through there now is worse than hurricane Danny with 24 inches because of all of the pavement that's been done around this."

Smith said heavy rain events of 3 to 5 inches already cause significant flooding several times a year.

After staff discussion and public comment, the commission voted to hold the item over for six months, delaying further consideration of the annexation and zoning request. Any annexation would be tied directly to approval of the PUD, and final authority would rest with Fairhope City Council following a recommendation from the planning commission.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.