FAIRHOPE, Ala. — As more patients are admitted to Thomas Hospital, it seems empty parking spaces are becoming increasingly rare. Phil Cusa, hospital administrator and an Infirmary Health System vice president, said, “That’s one of our biggest challenges. The difficult thing is as we’re growing, there just may not be enough spaces for parking for visitors.”

Last year, the hospital added 235 employee parking spaces on land bordered by Morphy Avenue, Ingleside Drive and Horns Lane. New plantings and the preservation of the larger trees have landed the hospital a Beautification Award for landscaping, which was given to hospital officials Saturday morning, Feb. 23, by the city of Fairhope. The Arbor Day ceremony was held in Centennial Hall on the Faulkner State Community College campus in Fairhope.

Public Works Director Jennifer Fidler said she met onsite with engineers from Hutchinson, Moore & Rauch, the firm that designed the lot, and went over plans to “make sure they engineered their plan to save the large trees in the parking area.”

Some features included in the design, including a gazebo and a decorative fountain were included for not only aesthetic purposes, but also practical reasons.

The gazebo will offer shelter to hospital employees and security personnel who use the lot during the daytime hours it is in use.

The lighted fountain also has a dual role, according to Fidler. She said, “They are required to have a holding pond, and we ask for the holding ponds to have aeration. This one has a pleasing appearance.”

Mike Kilpatrick, manager of plant operations and construction at Thomas, noted that once a 124,000-square-foot, $45 million hospital expansion currently under construction is occupied in January the existing building will come down, creating 40-50 additional parking spaces. Demolition and site work are expected to be completed in April 2009.

Other changes might be made, according to Cusa, including shifting other employee and physician parking. Construction of a parking garage has been ruled out for now, he said.

Thomas Hospital isn’t alone in being honored today. Fidler and City Council President Bob Gentle will also present awards to other individuals, businesses and organizations that have added to the city’s overall beauty.

For business district improvement, the expansion of 311 Magnolia Ave. by Wanda and Mike Dobson is being honored for its use of a historic look. Developer John Bethea will receive the award for his McCullough Office Building at 2 S. Church St. Instead of tearing down the building and starting anew, Bethea gutted and updated it while maintaining the original facade.

Institutional awards went to the Fairhope Single Tax Corp. for its work to restore the old City Hall building for a new Fairhope Museum of History. The group is also being honored for its FSTC Nature Park on County Road 44.

Joining Thomas in the landscaping category are Duck, Duck, Goose Inc. for Summer Lake Subdivision, also on County Road 44. The others are the Pelican Square office building on Lottie Lane at Fairhope Avenue and BancTrust, 236 N. Greeno Road, near Gayfer Avenue Extension.

Fidler said, “These are awards the Tree Committee gives out. They ride through town in a van and look at all new buildings that have been built or improved on over the past year. They look for the ones that have gone above and beyond, and stand out from the rest. It’s not just about landscaping. It’s for renovation.”