Fairhope council approves development agreement for Barnwell-area golf course and up to 310 homes

The Fairhope City Council on a voice vote approved a development agreement with Daniel Realty Company LLC that secures city availability letters for water and sewer service for a proposed 18-hole golf course and accompanying residential component in the Barnwell area south of town.

The agreement matters because it binds the developer to pay for and install major water and sewer extensions the city says are needed for the project, donates a 1-acre parcel the city can use for future water infrastructure and limits the residential component to a maximum of 310 lots. The council approved authorization for Mayor Sherry Sullivan to execute the agreement.

City legal counsel explained the core terms during the meeting: the developer will provide availability letters showing capacity for the project and will construct water and sewer extensions to city specification. The agreement describes a 6-inch sewer force main from McGowen Drive to the development, upgrades to the Roar lift station, and new 12-inch water mains from the south side and via County Road 24 to the site. The developer agreed to convey one acre at no cost so the city can pursue test wells and possible water-tower placement to support the south side of Fairhope.

The development proposal also includes the golf course clubhouse with restaurant space, pool and related amenities; the residential component would consist of single-family homes and possibly rental cottages but is expressly capped at 310 lots in the contract language. The transcript notes that one of the parcels already under contract carried a previously issued city availability letter for 375 lots; the new agreement ties availability specifically to the golf-course/residential plan and the stated lot cap.

Council members who spoke during the discussion praised the reduction in density from earlier county-level proposals and highlighted the amenity value of a golf course, saying it would act as recreational open space for the area. The attorney noted that the proposed subdivision and associated residential development still require review and approval by Baldwin County Planning and Zoning before those components are finalized.

The agreement also states that the developer will annex the property into the city “if and when” annexation becomes legally permissible (for example, when city boundaries become contiguous or other statutory mechanisms allow). Council members and a member of the public asked clarifying questions in the public-participation period about how impact fees and annexation would affect city services; staff answered that impact fees are not collected by Baldwin County and that city impact fees apply only if and when property is annexed.

The council approved the resolution by voice vote after discussion. No roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes provided.

Looking ahead, the project will move next to Baldwin County Planning and Zoning for subdivision-level approvals; the city will expect the developer to complete the utility extensions and convey the parcel described in the agreement before the city issues final availability confirmations tied to annexation conditions.