Foley officials have approved an updated Comprehensive Plan that they say will guide how the city grows in the coming years. City staff describe the document as a blueprint for development and public projects across Foley. Leaders say it is meant to protect the quality of life while managing rapid change. The plan sets out how new neighborhoods, businesses, and streets should be designed as the community continues to expand.

The Foley Planning Commission recently adopted the plan after months of work and discussion. It updates and expands the guidelines first laid out in the 2008 Comprehensive Plan. It also builds on the 2022 Foley Forward Plan, which began a new round of growth planning for the city. Officials said the new document consolidates earlier efforts into a single long-term vision.

In a briefing to the Foley City Council, Wayne Dyess, the city’s executive director for infrastructure and development, said the updated plan is intended to prepare Foley for upcoming changes. “We believe this comprehensive plan acts as a blueprint for high quality growth by ensuring development occurs in the appropriate locations and reflects the intended context, character and development pattern,” Dyess said. He said the document also “establishes a development process that is transparent and predictable, with clear standards and expectations that allow applicants, residents, and decision makers to understand what is required and how decisions will be made.”

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the plan should make it easier for developers to understand the city's expectations before submitting a proposal. “That's the kind of guidance that a plan like this gives developers up front before they even bring us a project,” Hellmich said. “It's important, and this will help the Planning Commission.” He said clear rules and goals can save time for both builders and residents.

City leaders say the Comprehensive Plan will guide decisions on quality of life, sense of place, transportation, and connectivity. It also addresses sustainable and balanced growth, environmental stewardship, and predictable development. Officials said the goal is to help Foley grow without sacrificing what makes the city unique.

Planning manager Shawn Mitchell said the new plan is not only about zoning lines on a map. It also examines where growth should be focused and how different uses can be combined. She said concepts such as mixed-use and improved connections between areas are key to the document. The plan aims to create walkable areas where people can live, work, and shop in the same general locations.

One key idea in the plan is to concentrate density in the center of Foley and reduce development intensity farther out. “As you go from the highest density and intensity of uses in downtown core, and move out from the periphery, density and intensity should decline,” Mitchell said. “Whenever we're looking at proposed developments, you're looking at that. If you're close to the center, it makes sense that you have higher density, multi-family, mixed-use. Then, as you move out, you should have larger lots and a more rural character.”

“As you go from highest density and intensity of uses in the downtown core and move out away from the core, density and intensity should decline,” Mitchell said. “If you're close to the center, it makes sense to have higher density, multi-family, and mixed-use development. As you move out, you should have larger lots and a more rural character.”

Current city projects are already carrying out some of those ideas in the downtown area. Civic construction, such as the new public library and improvements on South Chicago Street, is intended to support more downtown activity. Officials said these projects help create civic spaces, parks, open areas, and better connections between destinations.

The Comprehensive Plan also calls for stronger pedestrian connections, especially in central Foley. The goal is to ensure residents and visitors have a variety of attractions within a five- to ten-minute walk. That includes public buildings, businesses, parks, and other daily needs. City staff say this kind of design can reduce car trips and make neighborhoods feel more active and safe.

Vehicle traffic is another significant part of the plan. “We want to try to facilitate connectivity that cuts down on traffic, that improves emergency response,” Mitchell said. “We're working closely with the Engineering Department to envision what streets should look like. Because you don't have the same kind of street in the middle of a subdivision that you find in the commercial mixed-use core.” Different types of streets will be designed to match the areas they serve.

Dyess said the Comprehensive Plan will help Foley manage change for many years. “This Comprehensive Plan will not only guide high-quality growth well into the future, but it will also provide a clear framework for ongoing implementation evaluation through measurable performance metrics that help the city assess how the plan is being implemented,” he said. He added that the plan “also serves as direction for municipal public projects and capital improvements by establishing the public realm expectations that coordinate with private development, enabling an integrated approach that produces a consistently high quality environment in areas such as downtown and other key corridors and centers.”

He said the document also offers an “implementation roadmap” that will shape future changes to the city’s Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, and Technical Design Manual. Those updates are intended to ensure the city’s rules align with the land-use and character vision adopted in the plan. The Comprehensive Plan is Foley’s primary land-use planning document and is directly derived from the city’s Strategic Plan adopted last year. City officials said it advances a core initiative under the Livable Communities objective and will serve as a guide for public and private decisions in the years ahead.