An updated comprehensive plan adopted by the Foley Planning Commission is set to guide how the city grows and develops in the coming years, providing a framework for land use, infrastructure and quality of life as Foley continues to expand.

The plan updates and builds on guidelines approved in the city’s 2008 comprehensive plan and the 2022 Foley Forward Plan. City officials said the new document is designed to help Foley prepare for change while maintaining its character and improving predictability for residents and developers.

Wayne Dyess, Foley executive director for infrastructure and development, discussed the plan with Foley City Council and said it will serve as a long-term blueprint for growth.

"We believe this comprehensive plan acts as a blueprint for high quality growth by ensuring development occurs in the appropriate locations and reflects the intended context, character and development pattern” Dyess said. “It also establishes a development process that is transparent and predictable, with clear standards and expectations that allow applicants, residents and decision makers to understand what is required and how decisions will be made.’”

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the plan will help set expectations before new projects reach the approval stage.

“That's the kind of guidance that a plan like this gives developers up front before they even bring us a project,” Hellmich said. “It's important, and this will help the planning commission.”

City officials said the comprehensive plan addresses a wide range of issues, including quality of life, sense of place, transportation, connectivity, sustainable and balanced growth, environmental stewardship and predictable development. It also emphasizes how public and private projects should work together as Foley grows.

Shawn Mitchell, Foley planning manager, said the plan goes beyond traditional zoning considerations and focuses on where and how growth should occur.

The plan promotes concentrating the highest density and intensity of development in the city’s core, with development becoming less intense farther from downtown.

“As you go from highest density and intensity of uses in the downtown core and move out away from the core, density and intensity should decline,” Mitchell said. “If you’re close to the center, it makes sense to have higher density, multi-family and mixed-use development. As you move out, you should have larger lots and a more rural character.”

Mitchell said Foley’s approach draws heavily from the city’s original layout, which dates back more than 100 years and featured strong street planning.

“We relied heavily on the downtown model and the way things were laid out in the original Foley plan,” Mitchell said. “Whenever we're planning new nodes along 59 or along the Foley Beach Express, they should follow some of the same principles that we see downtown. So, transportation oriented, compact grid, street layout, mixed residential-commercial use, lots of open civic spaces, that sort of thing.”

Several current city projects reflect those principles, including the construction of a new library and improvements along South Chicago Street. Officials said those projects emphasize civic space, open areas, parks and connectivity consistent with the plan’s goals.

Pedestrian access is also a key focus, with the plan encouraging a central area where residents and visitors can reach a variety of attractions within a five- or 10-minute walk. Traffic flow and emergency response were also considered as part of the planning process.

“We want to try to facilitate connectivity that cuts down on traffic, that improves emergency response,” Mitchell said. “We're working closely with the engineering department to envision what streets should look like. Because you don't have the same kind of street in the middle of a subdivision that you find in the commercial mixed-use core.”

Dyess said the comprehensive plan will guide not only private development but also future city projects and regulatory updates.

“This comprehensive plan will not only guide high-quality growth well into the future, but it will also provide a clear framework for ongoing implementation evaluation through measurable performance metrics that help the city assess how the plan is being implemented,” Dyess said. “Importantly, the plan also serves as direction for municipal public projects and capital improvements by establishing the public realm expectations that coordinate with private development, enabling an integrated approach that produces a consistently high quality environment in areas such as downtown and other key corridors and centers. Finally, it provides an implementation roadmap that will inform future amendments to the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations and the technical design manual to ensure the city’s regulations and standards align with the plan’s adopted land use and character vision. This comprehensive plan, as the city’s primary land use planning document, directly stemmed from the city’s strategic plan adopted last year and was advanced specifically as a core initiative under the Liveable Communities Objective.”