Board grants special exception for Fairhope Church of Christ relocation on Greeno Road

The Fairhope City Board of Adjustment approved a special exception allowing the Fairhope Church of Christ to locate a roughly 4,000‑square‑foot worship building with approximately 100 seats on about 11.2 acres at 860 Greeno Road; the approval passed on a board vote during the same meeting.

City staff (Mike Jeffries) said the parcel is zoned R‑1 (single‑family residential) and that places of worship are not listed as a use allowed by right in that district; staff presented a preliminary site plan showing a circular drive and noted ALDOT must permit the proposed right‑in/right‑out entrance on Highway 98. Staff said additional civil plans and permitting would be required at the time of site‑plan submission. The staff presentation noted the church formerly occupied a site immediately south of the proposed parcel and that a neighboring property owner has expressed support by email.

Chris Lee of Lee Engineering, representing the applicant, told the board the proposed driveway location is more than 250 feet from adjacent driveways and that preliminary contact with ALDOT produced no major objections at a concept level; he said the church understands that vehicles wanting to travel south on Highway 98 would need to go north and make a U‑turn at the signal. Lee said the prior property owner to the south does not want continuous church traffic across his parcel, so the applicant is pursuing an independent driveway on Highway 98.

Board members moved, seconded and carried a motion to approve the special exception as presented. The record shows a roll call vote in favor by the board members introduced at the start of the meeting (Bridal Baker; Donna Cook; Anil Viera; Kathy Slagle; Frank Lamia).

The approval is conditional on standard site‑plan and permitting steps: the applicant must submit detailed civil and drainage plans, secure ALDOT right‑of‑way permits for the proposed entrance, and complete any required city reviews before building permits can be issued. The board noted right‑in/right‑out access limitations and the practical effect that southbound traffic would need to use a signalized intersection and U‑turn to reach the site.