SPANISH FORT — The city on Monday will begin the process of upgrading its construction requirement to the latest revision of the International Building Code.

The first step will be a public hearing allowing citizens, builders and contractors to voice their opinions about the newest issue of the codes, which are designed to make structures stronger in the face of disasters like hurricanes Ivan and Katrina.

The biggest change in the new version of the code requires structures to be built to withstand winds of 140 miles per hour, as opposed to the older version, which set the requirement at 130 miles per hour.

Mayor Joe Bonner said he realizes the city will have to adopt at least some form of the new code.

“We really don’t have much of a choice,” Bonner said. “If we don’t upgrade the code the insurance rates will go through the roof.”

Insurance rates are tied to a rating assigned to a community by the Insurance Service Office. The ISO assigns a community a classification based on a number of different criteria with the top one being the edition of the International Building Code adopted by the area.

“It may cost a little more to construct a home or business, but the increase will be offset by the reduced insurance rates,” Bonner said.

Local residents can participate in Monday’s public hearing to discuss the revisions of the code.

The decision Spanish Fort will be dealing with is how much of the new IBC will be adopted, Bonner said.

“We are not required to pass the code as is,” he said. “We can leave some parts as we have them now and still protect the insurance rating.”

Most of Baldwin’s other cities have already or are considering adoption of the code.

Daphne recently adopted a version of the code with a few exceptions, Baldwin County will be dealing with the issue early next month and Foley will likely give final approval to the new code Monday night.

Apartment complex

The council has scheduled another public hearing concerning EaslanCapital’s plans to build an upscale apartment complex adjacent to Rockwell Elementary.

Developers cleared the first hurdle in their plans to build a 240-unit upscale apartment complex just east of Rockwell on Highway 31 in Spanish Fort.

Monday night the Planning Commission gave its approval to rezone the area, which would allow Easlan Capital to construct the complex.

The Greenville, S.C.-based developer plans to build what spokesman Matt Meshad called Class A apartments on the site.

“They will be equal to or higher than anything currently available in Northern Baldwin county,” Meshad said.

He offered the commissioners a brochure that detailed some of Easlan’s other developments.

“We have complexes in Charlotte, Savannah, Greenville and other areas,” Meshad said, adding that the developer plans to build a similar complex in Spanish Fort.

“They will range in size from 800 to 1300 square feet,” he said. “They will be along the lines of Audubon Park Apartments,” a complex located on Highway 64 in Daphne.

During a public hearing last month, Mystique Pickett, who lives near the proposed project on Coleman Lane, asked the developer’s plans for residents entering the complex.

Meshad assured the Commission and Pickett the project will have two entrances located on Highway 31.

Although last month’s action was only to subdivide and rezone the land, which is a portion of the Malbis Plantation property, Meshad provided the commissioners and residents with details about the proposed construction.

“The complex is designed to be three stories and include 10 buildings with 24 units per building,” Meshad said. “We will also offer a number of amenities including a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts.

“We really won’t know what else we can provide until we see the lay of the land,” he added.

Those plans will not be required until the city is presented with a site plan for the project in the future.

City Attorney David Conner said the project will now go before the Spanish Fort City Council.

“The council will have a public hearing on the zoning request — and the ultimate decision if the property will be rezoned,” Conner said.

“If the property is rezoned by the City Council that is when the developer will present a site plan for the project,” he added.

The site plan will have to be reviewed and approved by the commission as the project moves forward.