BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Baldwin County voters will decide the fate of a local amendment Nov. 2 which would establish Stockton as a landmark district and prohibit annexation into any municipality.

Lynn Hastie-Bozone, a member of the Stockton Heritage Association and daughter of famed historian Davida Hastie, said the bill will ensure preservation of the community in northern Baldwin County.

“People realize we needed to do something to protect our heritage,” Hastie-Bozone said. “This is one of the oldest settlements in Baldwin County.

The proposed area is bordered by Little Hall’s Creek on the north and Interstate 65 on the south.

Hastie-Bozone listed five historic markers, 31 buildings with Baldwin County historical markers, and about 70 structures which meet qualifications for the designation.

George Riley, a Stockton resident for 27 years, said the legislation should be in place before future development.

“We want to preserve Stockton’s identity,” Riley said. “No one wants to annex us now, but there will be lots of development soon in this area.”

Riley said the potential expansion of Live Oak Landing and businesses which may sprout up near Bicentennial Park would increase annexation and incorporation efforts.

“We aren’t against incorporation if that is what people want,” he said. “But we have no tax base and incorporation would be a mistake. All this bill does is prevent annexation.”

County Commissioner Frank Burt said the Commission used grant money for a Auburn University architectural study of the Stockton area and similar communities throughout Baldwin County.

“It has been studied and studied, and the only way to put this in place was legislatively,” Burt said. “There are several other areas interested and may ask later for a countywide vote.”

Riley said the bill does not involve incorporation, land use restrictions or zoning.

“This is all about ownership,” Riley said. “If we are annexed, we lose ownership and our identity.”