By Cathy Higgins
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The Bay Minette City Planning Commission’s approval of a Hand Avenue property re-zone could pave the way for a new assisted-living facility in North Baldwin County.
During its October meeting last week, the commission unanimously OK’d changing the zoning status of a 13-acre property located at 1705 Hand Ave., from residential to business. The act came at the request of the property’s current owners, Gerald and Margaret Redmond.
According to Gerald Redmond, the action would enable him to make changes to the property that would make it a palatable site on which to house Country Place Assisted Living. During last week’s meeting, he explained that one such change would be to add a road that would provide access to the property other than from Hand Avenue.
“The only other change is on the low area next to McMillan (Avenue),” Redmond told the commission. “I’d like to put a pond in there.”
He added that Country Place, which is also opening several additional facilities in the region, has expressed strong interest in moving onto the site.
“They’re ready to go,” Redmond said. “They’ll be at the November (Bay Minette Planning Commission) meeting.”
Before agreeing to re-zone the property, commission members asked for specifics about the type of facility that would be located on the property.
“The plans have a nurse’s station,” Redmond said, adding that Country Place plans to have 28 employees working at the facility, which would also house a central dining room and kitchen.
“These (apartment) units will each have a private bath,” Bay Minette Mayor Jamie Tillery added.
After agreement that the facility would be close to a nursing-home classification, the commission voted to recommend the re-zoning to the Bay Minette City Council, which is anticipated to hold a public hearing on the matter at its next meeting on Oct. 17.
