During the city of Foley’s work session on Sept. 6, residents from the neighborhoods along Wolf Bay Drive filled several seats to discuss changing a section of the road from the current 35 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour.

Kathleen Roberts of Bay View Drive spoke to council and said she saw no reason for this road to be less than 45 miles per hour.

The portion of road the resident spoke to was Wolf Bay Drive, from the curve near the Interpretive Center at Graham Creek, heading east, to the first subdivision driveway, which is Graham Creek Estates.

“To me, it’s comparable to County Road 4 in Gulf Shores,” Roberts said. “County Road 4 has a 45 miles per hour speed limit. Between GlenLakes and the Beach Express the speed changes to 45 miles per hour (on County Road 12). I don’t see why we can’t have it. I don’t see why it was changed to begin with.”

One resident said, “I just don’t see a reason to go 35 when I can go 45.”

Council President Wayne Trawick said the speed limit was changed earlier this year because several residents requested the change and petitioned to have the speed limit lowered.

Foley’s Police Chief David Wilson said he will always be in favor of safety and keeping the lower speed limit.

“I’m always going to lean toward safety,” he said.

The residents most concerned about the speed limit to be lowered were the residents that had to back out of their driveways into the street. However, the strip of Wolf Bay Drive discussed at the work session has no homes on it.

A major concern was the construction planned for a new subdivision in the area that had been approved by the planning commission. One councilmember said that if the city does change the speed limit around that area, the speed limit can always be changed back during construction if need be.

Judge Robert “Bob” Wilters weighed in on the conversation as a resident in the area.

“We live a while out, and it takes us a while to get in,” he said, laughing. “Granted, it’s not going to give us but 30 seconds more time, but still, we live a long way out. There’s no houses that way. We’re law abiding citizens for the most part and we follow the law because it makes sense. Thirty-five miles per house just doesn’t make sense.”

Chad Christian, Foley’s city engineer said he and the police chief looked at the speed limits up to that area and with the bike paths, 35 was appropriate.

“We can be safe now, or raise it (the speed limit) and wait until we have an accident and say, ‘Oh, well, we shouldn’t have raised it.’ You have to look at that side of it, too.”

At the Foley council meeting immediately following the work session, council voted unanimously to increase the current 35 miles per hour speed limit to 45 on Wolf Bay Drive from the curve at the Interpretive Center at Graham Creek east to the first subdivision. The speed would then drop to 35 miles per hour. From the curve at Graham Creek Interpretive Center to County Road 12, the speed limit will stay at 35 miles per hour.