FAIRHOPE, Ala. - A committee to study and recommend a development plan for Greeno Road north of Gayfer Avenue and south of County Road 104 was established Monday night by the City Council.

“Someone on the Planning Commission said we don’t want Greeno Road to become another Airport Boulevard,” said Bill Lewis, a Greeno Road property owner who spoke in favor of establishing a study committee and developing a plan along that stretch of four-lane highway in Fairhope. “That’s setting the bar too low. We can do better than that.”

Dick Charles, a longtime member of the Planning Commission, was named committee chairman, and council members Rick Kingrea and Debbie Quinn were included on the committee, as was resident Ralph Thayer.

The remaining members will include two Greeno Road property owners and two local citizens.

Kingrea said the city should advertise the new committee positions on its website and invite interested persons to apply.

The Greeno Road area in question was zoned residential more than 20 years ago when it was a two-lane road, but its character and use have changed since then, according to speakers at last week’s commission meeting, who requested a committee to study the issue and recommend a development plan.

“We started this (effort) in 2007,” said Debra Green, who has been a leader of the Greeno Road property owners. “I think that we can have a small committee and get something done.”

Green has been concerned about the make-up of the committee and how the members will be selected and sent an email to Kingrea Tuesday morning seeking information on that process.

At the April 11 council meeting, Kingrea said that the remaining committee members might be appointed at the April 25 meeting.

In other business, the council:

• Delayed consideration of whether Fairhope would let Foley have $202,000 of a grant for stream restoration efforts, which would be Fairhope’s portion of a Special Appropriations Grant sought several years ago by several cities in the county.

The Fly Creek Preservation Society objected to the city giving up the funds in a recent email to city officials.

“”Let’s send it back to staff,” Mayor Tim Kant said about having city staff members study the issue again. “If (the funds) can help Fly Creek then that’s what we ought to do.”

Both Quinn and Council President Lonnie Mixon supported that idea, and the council voted to reconsider the issue at its next meeting.