Growth & Development

Fairhope continues to experience rapid growth. This page highlights how each candidate proposes to balance development with preservation of the city’s character and charm.

What is your stance on the current pace and scale of residential and commercial development in Fairhope?

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Andrea Faust Booth

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Jack Burrell

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Jimmy Conyers

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    George Ferniany

  • "First and foremost, we must act quickly to slow the tremendous rate of growth in our city. This means enacting a new moratorium on all large developments in city limits. We cannot move forward with the other improvements needed in our city until we can collectively catch our breath. During this period a review of current building regulations and standards should be completed."

    Joshua N. Gammon

    Place 2

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Tracy Gatewood

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Howell Gibbons

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    David Luc

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Corey Martin

  • "Growth continues to be the biggest challenge we face. As Fairhope’s popularity continues to soar, the City will continue to be faced with issues on how to control and manage growth and the potential impact on our infrastructure, our schools, and our quality of life. During my tenure on the Fairhope City Council, we have used moratoriums to slow growth while upgrading infrastructure needs and refining regulations to limit density in certain developments within our city limits. Fairhope’s charm is one of its greatest assets—and it’s something we simply can’t afford to lose as we grow. My vision is to guide growth in a way that protects our historic character, preserves our strong sense of community, and ensures Fairhope remains a place where families, retirees, small businesses, and visitors all feel welcome. That means continuing to enforce and refine our zoning and land-use policies to protect neighborhoods and historic areas. It also means encouraging development that fits Fairhope’s scale and aesthetic, supports walkability, and safeguards our green space. Tourism will always be part of our local economy, but I believe it can complement—not compete with—our quality of life when managed thoughtfully and with care."

    Jay Robinson

    Place 4

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Troy Vickers

How should the city manage growth while preserving the character of Fairhope’s historic downtown and neighborhoods? 

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Andrea Faust Booth

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Jack Burrell

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Jimmy Conyers

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    George Ferniany

  • "Our growth and tourism present both challenges and opportunities for our historic city. The first thing we do to protect our charm is ensure that our downtown remains the gem of the city. We do that by ensuring that business feel supported by the city, parking and transportation downtown is easy, all city maintained items are in pristine condition, and that we have standards and thorough reviews for any remodels and new constructions. There shouldn’t be a flower out of line, a light pole with chipped paint, or a trash can that isn’t clean. In order to maintain the charm we have to ensure that downtown remains an experience in and of itself. That isn’t done by the city alone, but requires a close partnership with the businesses that make up the downtown and the reason folks choose to spend their money in our city. As it relates to population growth, we have to manage it intelligently. It starts by slowing the growth with an additional moratorium on large tract developments. We need to take a breath before we attempt the pace of growth we’ve been experiencing. When we do grow, we don’t need any more cookie-cutter homes in our community. Let’s ensure that builders are creative in their designs but blend with the surrounding area, neighborhoods have adequate greenspace, and developments are supported by area residents."

    Joshua N. Gammon

    Place 2

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Tracy Gatewood

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Howell Gibbons

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    David Luc

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Corey Martin

  • "In the last nine years, we have enacted five separate moratoriums on new development. Strategic usage of moratoriums is a great way to manage or control growth. However, these moratoriums must meet certain requirements under Alabama law, or the City could face legal challenges, and the taxpayers could be saddled with unnecessary legal expenses. In addition to moratoriums, the City has refined our regulations to limit density in certain types of developments in the City limits. While we can’t stop you from building, we can have a say in the type of development you build (depending on zoning). Finally, we have enacted Ordinances to limit customers on our water and sewer services. Additionally, we have purchased over 350 acres across the City in the last nine years to be used by our residents. This includes the Flying Creek Nature Preserve, the 114 acres of property for recreational use, 40 acres in Barnwell for youth football, 40 acres from the Boys' Scouts, and the K-1 Center. In addition to these properties being used for the enjoyment of our community, our purchasing them eliminates 350 acres that could be used by developers. While these measures do not stop growth, they help slow it down. While this is a challenge we will continue to face, the City Council has continued to use every legal way possible to slow growth in our community. If re-elected, I will continue the efforts we have already put in place, while also continuing to look for new ways to better manage growth."

    Jay Robinson

    Place 4

  • Awaiting response from candidate.

    Troy Vickers