SPANISH FORT, Ala. — In addition to planning for an expected population explosion, Spanish Fort’s proposed comprehensive plan seeks to chisel a cohesive identity from a wealth of untapped and under-utilized amenities.

“It is certainly an opportunity for us to say once and for all, ‘This is what we want Spanish Fort to be, and this is how we want the rest of the world to see us.’ Maybe folks will want to visit. Maybe they’ll want to move here and be a part of this exciting time, but in the end it’s about creating the kind of community our residents are proud to call home,” said Mayor Joe Bonner.

The public will have a second opportunity to discuss the 92-page proposal’s strengths and weaknesses during a public hearing slated for the Planning Commission’s Feb. 14 meeting.

The plan, deemed a “living” document, is intended to steer controlled growth over the next 15 years of a city expected to, at the very least, double in population by 2025. Copies of the 92-page plan are currently available at City Hall for on-site review at no charge or purchase for $23.

A substantial amount of the plan’s content is dedicated to incorporating the recent annexation of 11,000 acres for the eventual construction of the proposed master-planned Highlands development because projections indicate the development could quadruple the city’s population by 2015 and possibly increase it eight-fold by 2025.

The city will not be defined entirely by one development, however, and Bonner said that means granting considerable time and effort addressing two key issues:

r Lack of emphasis on the city’s historic and cultural resources unique to the Spanish Fort area.

r Lack of a city center that by its very design could forge Spanish Fort’s civic identity.

After years of discussion, plans for a centralized city complex are already in discussion with a design firm retained to get the first phase of the multi-tiered project ready for bid and re-assessment.

Regarding maximizing the area’s natural resources, however, the plan states: “With Spanish Fort’s ready access to the Mobile Bay shoreline and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, the city has a unique resource upon which to build its economy and recreational opportunities … off the eco-tourism and other businesses associated with servicing the use of Mobile Bay.

The plan proposes entrepreneurism should be encouraged and supported in order to diversify the city’s economy and also makes the following case for supporting local education:

“The city should also encourage private sector involvement and collaboration with local schools and small businesses to develop mentor/protégé programs and other general economic development activities. Improving educational attainment and job skills among the working age population as well as preparing the city’s youth for today’s competitive job market are critical elements for improving the city’s economic condition.”