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Orange Beach council defers wetlands zoning change after hours of public comment
Summary
After hours of public testimony about flooding, property values and takings risks, the Orange Beach City Council agreed to pause a proposal that would exclude wetlands from density calculations and add a 15-foot wetland setback, sending the matter for further study and possible moratorium.
Orange Beach city officials on May 6 paused action on a zoning-text amendment that would remove wetlands from density calculations and add a 15-foot setback, after more than three hours of public testimony from landowners, developers, engineers and residents.
Planning staff presented the proposal as two changes: exclude wetlands when calculating permitted density and add a 15-foot setback from delineated wetlands, with wetland delineations verified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The planning commission had recommended the change 7–0. Griffin, a city planner, summarized the request and noted it would align certain lots with surrounding RS‑1 neighborhoods.
Opponents said the change would amount to a de facto…
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