Foley ordinance will require greenbelt zones for new subdivisions
Foley ordinance will require greenbelt zones for new subdivisions
Foley City Council will hold a public hearing Monday, Nov. 4 on an ordinance that would require a greenbelt zone, a landscaped barrier, to be built around new subdivisions that border high-traffic corridor roadways.
The greenbelt zone will enhance the aesthetic experience for the public and be a visual and sound barrier for subdivision residents, shielding neighborhoods from the noise and traffic of passing vehicles, according to Wayne Dyess, Foley executive director of infrastructure and development. The ordinance, aimed at mitigating continuous fencing around neighborhoods, would apply only to subdivisions to be built in the future.
The ordiance will help soften the appearance of perimeter fences around a development, making them less visible to those outside the subdivision and reducing the visual impact of potential maintenance issues or disrepair over time.
“The fence would not be as prominent,” Dyess said. “It would be there if they wanted it, but it would be hidden to some degree by the landscaping.”
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said some subdivisions already have landscaped perimeters similar to what the ordinance requires.
“That’s what this ordinance will do,” Hellmich said. “It will encourage a small belt of trees that will allow you to have a little setback and then their fences behind that.”
The greenbelt would include landscaping, trees, shrubs and ground cover to create a barrier along the front perimeter of a subdivision. The greenbelt would be at least 25 feet wide.
Dyess said the ordinance grants the Foley Planning Commission flexibility in applying, or even waiving, the greenbelt requirement in areas where it may be out of context or inappropriate. This could include the central business area, downtown neighborhoods, village centers with high street connectivity and developments with superior design and where the greenbelt may not align with the surrounding or adjacent development context.