Previously, guest speakers and visitors would drive around lost in Bon Secour instead of coming to Oyster Bay. This resolved a lot of confusion between the two communities and the name, Oyster Bay, became more widely used. The name of the only church was changed to Oyster Bay Baptist Church from Bon Secour in 1972.
It had its own school, Post Office, zip code, many churches, grocery stores and gas stations. The actual town of Bon Secour, AL was always a larger more established community. Our city water and sewer and also the police and fire protection are administered through the City of Gulf Shores. It has a Gulf Shores address and many of the properties were voluntarily annexed into Gulf Shores years ago. The community of Oyster Bay has never had a Bon Secour address. Our community, is a 20 minute drive from Bon Secour. “South” Bon Secour is a new designation and the names “North” and “South” Bon Secour were not used. Making a name change would serve no purpose.
We are happy to have our own identity and consider it a positive. Our community is known as Oyster Bay by both locals and visitors, alike. Oyster Bay Community name change to “South Bon Secour” or any other name. We feel that these name changes would be detrimental to our property values and have a negative impact on our community image and cause confusion in maps, GPS, and community identity. This Petition is brought by many property owners and many life-long residents of the Oyster Bay/Plash Island community. And to cease actions for signage to designate the name changes. Petition to cease actions to change the name of the community of Oyster Bay to “South Bon Secour” or any other name and also cease actions to change the name of Plash Island to Hog Island or Bon Secour Island or any other name.