Baldwin County approves 30 Cubed roadway agreement with Foley to extend James Road

Baldwin County commissioners voted to approve an intergovernmental roadway construction agreement with the City of Foley to extend James Road by roughly 5,280 feet and add pedestrian improvements.

The agreement, brought forward under agenda item CO4, is part of the county's 30 Cubed program, a county-municipal partnership that the county describes as a matching effort to fund capacity and connectivity projects where county and municipal jurisdictions overlap. County staff said the program designates $30,000,000 in county funds to be voluntarily matched by $30,000,000 in municipal funds by 2030.

Frank Lundy, who introduced the item for county staff, said the Foley project will provide a north-south connection east of Alabama 59 and west of the Beach Express, just south of OWA and north of Gulf Shores. The project will extend James Road from Brents Willis Road South and includes pedestrian improvements intended to improve connectivity between unincorporated areas and the city.

The mayor of Foley, who addressed the commission during the item, called the 30 Cubed program "very progressive" and said the agreement formalizes a long-standing drainage and road partnership between the city and county. "This program to me is very progressive. I applaud y'all for doing this," the mayor said.

A commissioner moved to approve CO4 and, after a second, the commission voted to pass the agreement by voice vote. The motion passed with all commissioners present saying "aye." The item did not include an estimated county share of construction cost in the meeting materials; the agreement authorizes the intergovernmental arrangement and project scope as described by staff.

Why it matters: The project is part of a county effort to target funding where municipal and county jurisdictions intersect, prioritizing connectivity that county staff and municipal leaders said has strained local roads during surge visitation seasons. Extending James Road will create an additional north-south route for residents and visitors in southern Foley and the nearby resort corridor.

What the commission decided and next steps: By approving the intergovernmental agreement the commission authorized the county to enter the construction partnership with Foley and proceed with the project as scoped. The agreement includes the roadway alignment described by staff; project permitting, detailed design, and budgeting steps were not finalized in the public materials presented at the meeting. County staff and Foley city officials indicated they expect additional project proposals under the 30 Cubed program from other municipalities.

Provenance: The staff presentation and the mayor's remarks introducing the Foley project appear in the meeting record beginning with Frank Lundy's presentation of the 30 Cubed program and the CO4 item and the mayor's comments thanking the commission for the partnership. Excerpts from those remarks were recorded in the commission transcript and used to summarize the project and the vote.