Tweaks requested for beachfront restaurant on condo row; Oct. 5 public hearing will address changes to project that will create a public beach in O.B.
Tweaks requested for beachfront restaurant on condo row; Oct. 5 public hearing will address changes to project that will create a public beach in O.B.
By John Mullen
The group looking to develop a beachfront restaurant and gift shop on a parcel adjacent to a planned city parking lot for residents is going before the Orange Beach City Council to request some changes in its plan.
During the joint council work and regular session on Sept. 21 the council set a public hearing date to talk about the proposed changes to the planned unit development for CoastAL which is being developed by some of the owners of the Flora-Bama Lounge and Oyster Bar. The public hearing date will be Oct. 5.
Among the changes sought are:
• Increasing the footprint of the outdoor bar
• Increasing the gross floor area of the restaurant
• Reducing the restaurant building’s setback on the east
• Modifying the front façade of the restaurant building
In December, the council voted unanimously to allow the restaurant on the eastern half of the property which is near the main intersection in town at the Hwy. 61 and the beach. The city agreed to pay for 400 feet of the total 800 feet fronting the Gulf.
Mayor Tony Kennon said it has been a goal of the city to own some beach front property and the city’s portion will be used for parking for city residents wishing to visit the beach.
Developers have said the project will be similar to the Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar in Santa Rosa, Florida, also owned by some of the same partners in this development.
During the 9/21 regular session, the council:
• OK’d a resolution awarding the bid for Dinner Theater Catering Services to The Wharf Restaurant Group for $42,000.
• OK’d a resolution awarding the bid for Christmas decorations to Winterland for $49,950.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the purchase of a Ford F-150 pickup for the Fire Department from State Bid in the amount of $38,217.
• OK’d a resolution in support of a Baldwin County Recycling Cooperative to keep “that moving forward with a feasibility study to determine the effectiveness of a” cooperative.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the sole source purchase of three submersible pumps from Jim House & Associates for the Utilities Department in the amount of $124,932.
• OK’d a resolution authorizing the execution of a right-of-way use agreement for Island Fiber.
During the 9/21 work session, the council discussed:
• A resolution authorizing the execution of amendment one to the subaward grant agreement with The Nature Conservancy for the NRDA funded Restoration Alternatives Analysis and Conservation Management Plan.
• A resolution authorizing the purchase of two pickup trucks for the Coastal Resources Department through Sourcewell in the amount of $73,963. According to city documents, “these Ford F-250 vehicles will be replacing the two trucks used for nightly clean up on the beach for five seasons.”