Baldwin County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Baldwin County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Hurricane Isaias recovery and employee admin leave
The commission lifted the local emergency, adopted the hazard mitigation plan, and fixed confusion over whether employees who worked during storm prep would also get admin leave.
County Road 55/54 roundabout and Eastern Shore Trail
Engineering design for the CR 55/54 roundabout and the Eastern Shore Trail Extension both moved forward on the consent agenda.
Community donations for parks and holiday events
The Fly High Goose Foundation gave $30,000 for a Live Oak Landing trail and Rayonier pledged $10,000 for Christmas lights at Bicentennial Park.
Escambia County hurricane debris in Baldwin landfills
Baldwin will take up to 500,000 cubic yards of Florida hurricane construction debris through December, spread across three landfills, at a special handling rate. One commissioner worried about using up local landfill space.
Coopers Lake rezoning in Rosington
Over 1,200 residents signed a petition against rezoning 111 acres of rural agricultural land for estate homes, citing rural character, flooding and consistency concerns. The commission approved it anyway.
Highway 98 RV Park code violation and PRD denial
The Patel Boat and RV Storage project adds six storage buildings on 45 acres near a neighborhood center node, with wetlands preserved behind a 30-foot buffer.
Gulf Coast Farm agrihood rezoning
The county accepted a notice of intent to request a planning and zoning referendum for Planning District 2, a step toward potentially extending zoning there.
Floodplain Ordinance Amendment
A small but important fix: mobile homes in mapped flood zones must now build to the actual flood elevation plus one foot, instead of just three feet above ground. This restores the county's CRS flood-insurance discount credit.
County Road 64 School Zone Speed Limit
The speed limit on County Road 64 will step down from 45 to 35 mph ahead of the new school's 25-mph zone, making the gradual slowdown safer for drivers and kids.
Domestic Violence Awareness
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Baldwin County. The Lighthouse serves over 1,500 people a year with shelter, crisis lines, and court advocacy — and leaders asked everyone to spread the word that help exists.
ARC of Baldwin County Decertification
The state Department of Mental Health decertified ARC of Baldwin County, cutting off Medicaid waiver funding for services to residents with intellectual disabilities. The commission sent a resolution of support ahead of a January appeal hearing.
Summerdale Building Inspection Termination
The county is ending the 2023 agreements letting Silverhill and Summerdale handle building permits in their extraterritorial jurisdictions. Silverhill's mayor warned a 38-day cutoff would gut the town's budget mid-year and disrupt permitting; both towns got extensions to December 31, 2026, with 30-day termination clauses.
180-Day Development Moratorium
Commissioner Underwood asked for a five-to-six-month pause on new zoning cases while the county finishes its new master plan and future land use map. Commissioner McKenzie opposed it, and no vote was taken — but expect this fight to return as the plan nears adoption this fall.
Hurricane Preparedness
EMA Director Tom Tyler warned of 8-11 foot waves and a tropical storm warning for Baldwin and Mobile counties, advising beachgoers to stay out of the water with red flags flying.
PFAS contamination near Navy airfield
A Harden Lane resident said the Navy tested everyone's water, found PFAS from firefighting foam at the airfield, and residents now use Culligan filters — plus complaints about snakes and coyotes from unkempt Navy land.
County Road 73 safety and drainage near Greenwood Subdivision
A cattle farmer described three crashes where cars without shoulders went into his property, and warned that 400 more vehicles on narrow CR 73 will multiply the danger. Speakers also recalled Hurricane Sally flooding over the CR 73 bridge.
Harden Lane and County Road 36 flooding
Neighbors near the Harden Fields subdivision described chronic flooding — kids reaching the school bus by canoe, driveways washing out during Hurricane Sally, and unaddressed culvert requests. The engineer pledged a ditch inspection within days.