New developments that build in Foley will appear more outwardly green.

Foley City Council approved a zoning ordinance amendment to establish greenbelt zones, a move aimed at creating visually appealing buffers between new residential developments and major roads.

The new regulations will apply to future developments, integrating natural and structural elements to enhance community aesthetics and mitigate noise.

"This would be a buffer area that will be required when you have residential development abutting arterial and collector roadways in the city," said Wayne Dyess, Foley executive director of infrastructure and development. "This area would be a green space. You could have sidewalks, lighting community walls or fences in this area. This is designed to create a more pleasant traveling environment but to also create noise and visual barrier for the neighborhoods that are next to these arterial roadways."

The greenbelt zones will provide a minimum 25-foot-wide buffer between arterial and collector roadways and adjoining neighborhoods. These areas will feature landscaping, trees, shrubs and ground cover to soften the appearance of fencing and reduce the canyon-like effect of long rows of barriers along major streets.

The ordinance grants Foley's planning commission flexibility to adjust greenbelt requirements based on the context of a development. Modifications might be allowed in areas such as the downtown central business district, village centers with high street connectivity or developments with superior design that align with the surrounding environment.

"It is flexible enough to allow the planning commission to modify this where conditions might dictate," Dyess said. "Those areas would specifically relate to the particular development around it to make sure it's in the context of the surroundings."

While the greenbelt ordinance will not apply to existing subdivisions, it represents a forward-looking approach to Foley's growth. Subdivision or homeowners associations will maintain the greenbelt areas under the ordinance.

Foley's Public Works Department is also collaborating with a landscape architect to plant trees along municipal rights-of-way, part of a broader initiative to restore Foley's tree canopy lost during Hurricane Sally in 2020.

City officials hope these greenbelt zones, along with the tree-planting initiatives, will foster a more cohesive and attractive environment for residents and travelers alike as Foley continues to grow.