MARLOW — To supporters, the District 14 zoning referendum will bring order and protect property rights.

To detractors, the same proposal is a “government grab,” taking away property rights.

Either way, the issue will be decided Tuesday, April 13 in a special election to be held at the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department. The poll will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Marlow VFD is at 13355 County Road 32.

There was an informational meeting about the issue Thursday at the Marlow United Methodist Church. A group of about 150 came to hear comments on the issue. The meeting was coordinated by Michael Shelton, a Watershed Coordinator at the Weeks Bay Preserve and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“It’s just too inclusive. It goes too far into your private life,” said James Long, in a phone interview before the meeting. Long is a resident of the district, which includes an area just to the south of U.S. Highway 98, Keller Road, County Road 27, State Highway 104, and Vic Mikkelesen Lane/County Road 55.

“I have five acres, and I don’t want any more government regulation,” said Long, who added that he has out buildings and decks around his home that could not be reconstructed if “more than 51 percent” of them were destroyed by some calamity.

“If my house burns down, I can’t build it back,” said one man at the meeting.

Not entirely true, said Wayne Dyess, the director of the Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Department.

“The people who say you can’t build back, that is not going to happen,” said Dyess, citing the county’s experience with hurricanes. However, if a use of the land has been “nonconforming,” or not in line with zoning, a business will have to conform to then-current zoning laws. He added that land in the area also comes under the jurisdiction of several other agencies.

“I can’t speak for large holders,” said Steve Mannhard, owner of Fish River Christmas Trees, “but there is a growing need, and that’s zoning.”

Manhard added that, “citizens in unprotected areas are out of the loop,” explaining that should a developer wish to place a subdivision in an area others feel is not appropriate, there is little county and local officials can do to stop the development.

Manhard cited a development that was planned for “an old pecan orchard” that included a large number of homes, apartments and a shopping center. He said if the developer wished to go through with the project, there was no way for abutters to protest or have input.

“Development is going to take place, and unless we have zoning, it will go the way developers want it to go.”