The Foley City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, Nov. 4, to discuss a proposed ordinance aimed at enhancing the appearance of city streets through the addition of trees and landscaping. The initiative is also intended to improve traffic flow along major roads.

The ordinance would require the creation of greenbelt zones, which are landscaped barriers, around the boundaries of new subdivisions that border high-traffic corridors. This measure is designed to promote greener, more attractive roadways throughout Foley.

Wayne Dyess, Foley executive director of infrastructure and development, said the barrier will be a benefit for drivers and residents.

"The greenbelt zone will enhance the aesthetic experience for the traveling public while also serving as a visual and sound barrier for residents, shielding neighborhoods from the noise and traffic of passing vehicles," Dyess said.

He said large subdivisions with long rows of fences can create a monotonous, “canyon-like” effect, which the ordinance aims to mitigate by incorporating landscaping to break up the continuous fencing.

The ordinance would apply only to subdivisions to be built in the future. Existing developments would not have new restrictions.

The barrier would be maintained by the subdivision property owners association or the homeowners' association.

 “The goal is for this to be under common ownership as part of HOA property,” Dyess said. “This way, there is a single entity—either the POA or HOA—responsible for maintenance, rather than multiple individual property owners.”

He said the city Public Works Department is moving forward with plans to plant trees along municipal rights-of-way, collaborating with a landscape architect for location, design and species recommendations.

Landscaping would also 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 downtown central business area, adjacent downtown neighborhoods, village centers with high street connectivity and developments with superior design, where the greenbelt may not align with the surrounding or adjacent development context.