Foley is dealing with unprecedented growth
Foley is dealing with unprecedented growth
New streets, an expanded wildlife preserve, new areas coming into the city and continued growth are some of the many highlights of 2023 in Foley, Mayor Ralph Hellmich said in his recent State of the City address.
Hellmich said Foley, with a population of about 25,000, is the second-largest city in Baldwin County. and has the fastest growth rate in the area.
“There’s a lot of angst out there, not just in Foley, but all over Baldwin, that we’re growing too fast,” Hellmich said. “I say that’s a pleasant problem to have. I would rather be growing too fast than not growing at all.”
To accommodate that growth, Foley has added 10 new police officer positions in the last year as well as new technology and equipment.
Other projects ongoing in the city include:
• A Public Works campus to provide updated space for the department’s 78 employees and a new mechanic shop to service the city’s more than 400 vehicles scheduled to open in 2024.
• Doubling the size of Graham Creek Nature Preserve to 1,600 acres through GOMESA funds.
• Foley opened the renovated Sara Thompson Kids Park in May at a cost of $1.2 million.
• The city also opened its first small downtown pocket park on Pine Street in 2023.
• The city entered into an agreement with the Baldwin County Board of Education to use school athletic fields for municipal leagues. In exchange, the city will improve the fields with lights and other amenities.
• The city is supporting the Foley Sister Cities program in which students from Foley will visit Foley’s sister city of Hennef, Germany in 2024 and German students will visit Foley after that.
• Foley acquired the former National Guard armory for recrational use by its citizens in exchange for donating property to the National Guard for a new armory near the Foley Beach Express.
• A new library will be completed next to the Foley Dog Park off Orange Ave. in 2025.
• Extending the Foley Civic Center 80 feet to increase additional seating space.
• The city completed the extension of North Pecan Street and made major upgrades to the intersection of Juniper St. and Baldwin County 20.
• Other projects completed in 2023 included drainage improvements on the Bon Secour River basin, including a beaver dam, to reduce flooding in the area.
• Sdewalk projects include tying in the Mel Roberts Park on Cedar St. north to Peachtree and Pecan, and adding sidewalks near Mathis Elementary School, on Koniar Way, Stabler Ave.and on Pride Blvd.
• Work is expected to begin in 2024 on a $5.5-million facility to shelter Foley first-responders and other officials can take shelter to be available immediately after a storm. Most of the cost of the facility would be paid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.