Gulf Health Hospitals seeks rezoning of two Northrop Avenue lots from residential to business district

A request to rezone two small lots on Northrop Avenue for Thomas Hospital was on the Fairhope Planning Commission's June 1 agenda — part of an effort to fold the parcels into the hospital campus and clear up a split-zoning problem.

Excerpt from the June 1, 2026 Fairhope Planning Commission agenda, page 2 — item 3.E.

The item, listed as ZC 26.05 and Item 3.E, was filed by Thompson Engineering Inc. on behalf of the owner, Gulf Health Hospitals Inc., which operates Thomas Hospital. The application asks the city to rezone the two-lot parcel — 0.35 acres at 751 and 757 Northrop Avenue (county parcel numbers PPIN 36183 and 38153) — from R-4, Low Density Multi-Family Residential District to B-4, Business and Professional District.

Both lots sit on the north side of Northrop Avenue and abut the south edge of the existing Thomas Hospital site, according to the staff report. Staff wrote that the change would resolve a split-zoning issue and bring the parcels in line with the larger hospital property, which lies within the city's Medical Overlay District; one of the lots, 757 Northrop Avenue, is already an allowed use under that overlay.

Preliminary plat for the Thomas Hospital rezoning, showing the two subject lots in green, from the June 1 meeting packet.

It is not the first such step along that block. At its June 2024 meeting, the commission recommended that the City Council approve a related Northrop Avenue rezoning tied to the Thomas Hospital site, the staff report notes.

The report also flagged neighborhood reaction. Staff said it had fielded several phone calls from Northrop Avenue property owners who were concerned about the change, and received an email from the owners of 763 Northrop Avenue asking that their property be rezoned as well; staff said it explained the process for making such a request. The remainder of Northrop Avenue would stay zoned R-4.

The two districts carry different rules. R-4 is a low-density multifamily residential category with minimum lot sizes, larger setbacks and a 30-foot height limit, while B-4 is a business and professional district with smaller setbacks and no minimum lot size, according to the city's dimension table included in the packet.

Zoning standards for the R-4 and B-4 districts, from the June 1 meeting packet.

Staff recommended approval of the rezoning. A zoning change is a legislative step: the Planning Commission makes a recommendation, and the City Council has the final say. Site plans and building permits are separate processes that would follow any approval.

The meeting was set for 5 p.m. Monday, June 1, at the Fairhope Municipal Complex Council Chambers, 161 North Section Street.