Foley is moving forward with plans to expand its network of connected sidewalks, using a local developer’s contribution to improve pedestrian access between neighborhoods, schools and public parks.

Foley City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with a developer to help fund approximately 1,000 feet of new sidewalks along North Cedar Street, extending from West Peachtree Avenue to Village Square Boulevard.

The agreement is tied to a previously approved planned unit development phase within Live Oak Village. The funding will help cover the cost of constructing the sidewalks as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian connectivity.

City Engineer Taylor Davis said Foley’s Technical Design Manual requires developers to construct sidewalks along streets where subdivisions are built. However, placing the sidewalk along Baldwin County 24 near the development would not provide a practical connection for pedestrians.

The county-maintained road does not have other sidewalks along that stretch. Connecting a sidewalk there to the city’s existing pedestrian network would also require a bridge for pedestrians where County 24 crosses the Magnolia River near the airport.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said extending the sidewalk along Cedar Street would provide a more useful route for residents.

"If it had been built on 24, it would have gone from the northern entrance over to the bridge and stopped there. It would have gone nowhere," Hellmich said. "This makes more sense for everybody."

Once the sidewalks are completed, Foley will have approximately 3 miles of connected sidewalks along Cedar Street, stretching from Live Oak Village to Ninth Avenue.

The connected route will improve pedestrian access to three schools and two public parks, creating a more useful network for residents traveling through the area on foot.