Author: Jane Nicholes

Longstanding litigation between developer Charles “Buddy” Breland and the city of Fairhope over a tract of land in Battles Wharf is again generating controversy as neighbors and environmental groups renew the fight over whether wetlands there should be filled in. In a normal executive session to discuss pending litigation, a city council is not obliged to name the case or cases that might be discussed. The logic is such sessions are closed to the public under same rules that apply to attorney-client privilege. But as the April 10 Fairhope City Council meeting carried on, it became clear most of the spectators knew well which case was up for a legal discussion that night, and a lot of them wanted to say their piece before officials and lawyers went behind closed doors. They wanted the council to know they’re still opposed to the idea of filling in about 10.5 acres of wetlands, regardless of who approved it 10 years ago or how much money it might cost the city to keep the litigation going. Breland, a well-known local developer, bought 65 acres just south of Nelson Road in 1999 for a little over $500,000. Some suggest the tract is more like a swamp acting as a valuable stormwater retention pond. Neighbors worry about regular stormwater flooding in the area. But Breland received appropriate permits to fill in the 10.5 acres...

As public education becomes a greater source of concern along the rapidly developing Eastern Shore, Daphne is forming an education advisory committee to work with its own local schools. Daphne also wants to do a feasibility study for an entirely separate school system, but that has nothing to do with the advisory committee, said Councilwoman Tommie Conaway. Rather, the advisory committee would work with individual school administrators to improve academic performance. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the feasibility study,” Conaway said. “It’s just something we need to do, and we should have done it before now. How can we help to improve education in schools?” Conaway was the first principal at Daphne Elementary East, which opened in 2004 and is now so crowded that a major addition is underway. She said she has thought for some time the city should be be more involved with the local schools. At one time, she said, Daphne had a similar type of education advisory committee but it faded away. Councilman Pat Rudicell is also working to form the new committee. “We’re just getting organized. We’re working on a draft ordinance. That should be out very soon. Once we’ve done that, then we’re going to accept resumes,” she said. In recent weeks public talk about a separate system and the possibility of a large-scale residential development being constructed southeast of town...

Spring break doesn’t start and end in Baldwin County so much as it starts up and winds down. While there may be some families or groups of college kids out on the beaches this week, the days when nearby universities and local high schools were all out on break at once are over for the year. Gulf Shores’ infamous spring break alcohol ban on the beaches ended Monday, though we don’t recommend throwing a keg party there in celebration. Gulf Shores plans to review the need for the ban every year, but these numbers make a strong argument for the future: • Arrests in Gulf Shores last year from March 3 through April 16: 633; • Arrests this year: 370. “I think it was a lesser crowd,” Gulf Shores Police Lt. Bill Cowan said. “There were still plenty of people here, but I think the alcohol ban for the weeks of spring break had the effect of letting people know that we’re not going to be the college party town. We’re not interested in being the college party town. I think that helped.” When Panama City Beach got so out of control authorities there had to take steps to make it less attractive for the hard-partying college crowd, Pleasure Island leaders feared they would move west. And when some of them did migrate last year, the underage drinking and...