The Comprehensive Plan

“I would love for Fairhope to not grow anymore.” _{– 2024 Fairhope Comprehensive Plan}

I’ve written before about how we in Fairhope don’t have a clear goal when it comes to growth, and that we must have a goal before we can agree on a plan.

It turns out I was wrong, we do indeed have a very clear, definite goal, at least as stated by those participating in the Public Opinion Survey conducted as part of the Comprehensive Plan.

Unfortunately, that clearly stated common goal is buried in Appendix B, way in the back. That goal belongs in the front, right on the cover, ahead of all the maps, renderings, pie charts, and jargon.

It would also be good if it could be distilled down to something short and memorable, a two or three word phrase that could fit on a bumper sticker or a yard sign…

By the way, the only phrase that I could find in the Comprehensive Plan that was more popular than “slow down” (25 times), was “stop building” (28 times). Maybe that can be my slogan next time.

And I said it once before, only yesterday, but it bears repeating that the big loser is “If you’re not growing, you’re dying” (0 times).