Mobile Bay Blog

CARRABELLE, Fla. -- For this sleepy fishing village on the banks of the Carrabelle River, the future of waterfront development could mean charter boats, not shrimp boats.

"Our future is going to lie in tourism, and yours might, too," said John McInnis, Carrabelle's city administrator, during a meeting with Bayou La Batre leaders on Wednesday. "The world looks at waterfront communities."

The seafood industry has shrunk considerably in Carrabelle, but city officials said the town of 1,300 has taken control of its future by creating public access to the waterfront, writing a city plan that focuses on small growth, and imposing strict rules on new developments, such as condominiums.

Carrabelle leaders gave their advice to a group from Bayou La Batre, who toured the town as part of a two-day trip. Bayou La Batre, historically dependent on the seafood industry, faces questions about how to move forward after Hurricane Katrina's destruction in 2005.

Last year, the Urban Land Institute recommended that Bayou La Batre develop its waterfront property into an eco-tourism hub with tours of the nearby Grand Bay wilderness preserve, paired with a nearby hotel and townhomes, among other suggestions.

Organizers of the trip said they're interested to discover how Gulf Coast communities have protected public access to the waterfront while strengthening the local economy.

McInnis said in years past, maintaining a working waterfront in Carrabelle meant supporting hundreds of shrimp boats using the river waters. But the seafood industry has succumbed to the pressures from foreign imports, federal fishing restrictions and rising fuel costs, he said.

Now, the city is focused on keeping its pristine landscape to attract eco-tourists interested in the pristine waters and marshlands, he said. Former shrimpers and fishermen, familiar with the local waters, could become tour guides with charter boats, he said.

Carrabelle has also focused on job creation, including spending $800,000 to bring the manufacturing company Green Steel Homes to the city to build a $6 million factory with 350 jobs, he said.

The city also plans to spend $1 million to build a waterfront marina and pavilion on city-owned land, he said.

Mel Kelly, Carrabelle's former mayor, said the town has survived the deaths of the lumber, turpentine and seafood industries, and she recommends that Bayou La Batre prepare for its own changes.

Carrabelle had to call for a halt in further real estate development two years ago, Kelly said, after more than 4,000 new housing units had been approved for the village.

City officials said less than 300 of those units were built, and at least half are now empty, purchased by investors who haven't been able to re-sell. Now, the city has imposed restrictions on development, including a 35-foot height limit on buildings.

"Nothing stays the way it is," Kelly said. "You have to decide collectively how you want the city look and develop... because if you don't do it, somebody will do it for you."

Bayou La Batre Councilwoman Debi Downey said Carrabelle's experiences show that Bayou La Batre needs its own plan for the future for locals to keep control of their town.

"We're going to have to be ready for development," Downey said.