It's been two long years for the citizens of the rural Barnwell area of Fairhope. In December, residents will have another chance to vote on zoning for District 38.

This vote comes at a crucial time. Earlier this month, a 339-lot subdivision named Saddlebrook was approved at the northwest corner of the Highway 98 and CR 24 intersection in west Barnwell. Despite community concerns, the Baldwin County Planning Commission noted that without zoning, it had no legal grounds to deny the application.

In December 2022, a similar proposal for District 38 failed by just 23 votes, with 132 in favor and 155 opposed. Despite the low turnout, the close result highlighted the community's divided stance on zoning. A previous Gulf Coast Media article reported that fewer than 400 residents participated in the vote.

Today, the urgency for zoning has only intensified. A group of Barnwell-area residents has initiated a renewed effort to establish zoning laws. According to this group, Barnwell is the only district in Fairhope that is not zoned, and over 300 permits are currently being processed, raising urgent questions about the area's future development.

Lisa Atchley, a resident and organizer, noted that some residents are afraid of zoning because they don’t want restrictions on their property.

Her words echo Elizabeth Wilson’s words from a previous Gullf Coast Media article regarding voting for zoning in District 38.

"At first, nobody wanted zoning. Historically, people would tell you that no one is going to tell them what to do with their land," Wilson said in the article. "But developers are running unchecked, and the only way to keep them in check is with zoning. People are finally starting to understand but there's still a lot of fear.

"People are scared they are going to lose their property rights," Wilson said. "But they are not really going to lose anything if this is done correctly."

As rapid growth persists, the Baldwin County Commission has approved boundaries for a proposed new District 38. This district would encompass areas just west of Greeno Road, starting at CR 32 and extending south along Highway 98 to Week's Bay. This move continues the trend of zoning referendums in unzoned areas around Fairhope.

For the proposal to advance, 10% of registered voters must sign a petition to the judge of probate, setting the stage for a voter referendum later this year. If approved, a five-member committee will be appointed to develop the new zoning map.

In a Facebook post in the public Facebook group Planning District 38, Atchely posted, “Our vote is back on the table. Please come to this meeting to have an open discussion about our community. We are the only area that is not zoned and a target for development.”

The meeting Atchely mentions takes place Thursday, Aug. 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the Delta Grocery Restaurant and Bar located at 8594 US-98, Fairhope. It is open for all residents of the area to learn more about the possible zoning of District 38 and ask questions.

"If we don't get zoning now, in two years there may be 2,000 more voters that came from somewhere else, and they won't care about cows and horses and farmland. They'll be voting for zoning that might take away the things we want," Trey Wood said in a Gulf Coast Media article in 2022. "What if they decide that farmer is making too much dust harvesting peanuts? The people that live here would rather have a say in how we expand and grow than a bunch of outsiders coming into a little subdivision and outnumbering us in the future."

For more information, contact the Planning District 38 group on Facebook.