G.S. approves 2nd food court; Gulf Place groundbreaking April 26

G.S. approves 2nd food court; Gulf Place groundbreaking April 26
By John Mullen
Gulf Shores is looking at approving a second mobile vendor feature food trucks and outdoor dining.
Leonard Kaiser is asking for a change in his planned unit development at the corner of West Second Street and West Commercial Avenue to build the court in the southeast corner of his project.
The council also heard a report from Herb Malone of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism on the spring break season and heard an update from Mayor Robert Craft on the Gulf Place Revitalization Project.
Included in the development would be patio seating, refrigerated storage for the vendors, a bathroom building and a covered stage. There are more than 200 parking spaces available to the court which is only required to provide 20.
“The dining establishments will be served by a paved dining courtyard, restroom facilities, a small events lawn, and a stage for performances,” according to a narrative provided by Watkins, Acy and Strunk, designer of the project. “The site selected at Midtown has significant tree cover with a few large live oaks. The trees add shade and scale to what intends to be a funky, entertaining place to not only have a meal but enjoy a distinct dining experience.”
Kaiser’s original PUD was approved for offices, restaurants, retail and even residential. But the council would have to approve any modifications for adding a mobile vendor court.
The application meets all the mobile vendor court regulations in city ordinances, City Planner Andy Bauer said, and recommended approval to the council. It was given unanimous approval by the city’s planning commission.
“We’ve talked about the suitability of this site for this type of use and we’re glad to see you come forward with it,” Craft told Kaiser.
The Watkins, Acy and Strunk description of the project says it blends in well with the city’s effort to move to more pedestrian and bicycle friendly spaces and venues.
“Ample sidewalk connectivity and bike racks enable and encourage multi-modal patron opportunities. Initial dining offerings will be shaded tables in the dining area,” the narrative stated. “Future ideas for relaxed seating underneath the trees will provide for a different experience on the development, whether to enjoy a meal, listen to music, or enjoy a beverage and a chat with a friend.”
Three of the pads will be for more permanent vendors like larger trailers and the other two will be able to host a variety of vendors.
“Two of the pads are planned to be for transient food truck use and have the ability to put two smaller venues on one pad if desired,” the narrative stated. “This might allow for two small, compatible uses to occupy one pad were this to become a market need.”
In February, the council approved a 10-space mobile food vendor court called Marsh Landing on Alabama 59 near the Bayou Village shopping center. It will be located on the east side of the highway and straddle a canal that connects to Little Lagoon.
Parking will be on the south side of the canal and a pedestrian bridge will be built to access the vendor court on the north side.
Developer Gary Ellis in February asked the council to delay having a full bar on the site until next year because there’s not enough time to get it built before the season starts. He wants to get the court up and running for the 2018 summer season. He is also asking the city to allow him to delay building of permanent bathrooms.
Gulf Place
Craft is happy not only with how well the Gulf Place project is proceeding but with the results as well.
“Having had the privilege to walk it and look at it I think we’re going to be really proud of what we have down there,” he said. “It’s so much better than it was. I think it’s well done.”
The deadline is definitely within reach, he said, and a ribbon cutting is planned about a week before that deadline.
“It looks like, the good Lord willing and the rain don’t fall – not if the creek don’t rise – we’ll get it done,” Craft said. “Things at the beach are going phenomenally well. Dan Bond, who is handling that project asked if we could tentatively schedule April 26 for a ribbon cutting. We’re on schedule and May 1’s our deadline.”
Spring Break
Malone said the peak of the spring season is expected to be the weeks around the Easter holiday.
“We now have some forecasting tools available to us and this week’s going to be a little softer than last week,” Malone said. “But the next week prior to Easter and the week after Easter, reservations were already a month ago ahead of what they had last year. That’s the big peak.”
Spring break, Craft said, has calmed down a lot since the unruly explosion seen during the 2016 season. Massive parties of college kids on the beach prompted the city to ban alcohol on the beach during spring break that year and have made a permanent ban.
As Malone pointed out, it hasn’t stopped guests from coming and Craft said they are the kind of guests he wants coming to town.
“It’s a lot more orderly down there,” he said. “We have less issues with arrests related to the problems we’ve had in the past. We’re growing to a different level of spring guests that are coming. We’re delighted to see that and that’s what we’ve been working toward all the time and having more families coming down here. That seems to be what we’re getting.”
Other Council Business
• Authorized the purchase of metering glass hopper for $14,000 for the Public Works’ recycling effort. Director Mark Acreman said the city recycled 40 tons of glass last year but conveyors had to be loaded by hand. The hopper eliminates that step. Acreman said the glass is ground into sand is used around the city to fill in potholes.
• Approved an assembly permit for the NAIA marathon in the college association’s track national championships May 24-26. Most of the events are at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, but the marathon takes place mainly in Gulf State Park but a small portion of it is in Gulf Shores.
• Nora Mandoki asked to be reappointed to the Personnel Board when her current term expires on March 27.