Gulf Shores Finalizes Embassy Suites Development Agreement
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Ongoing and Upcoming Events, PAGE 15 Beyond the Garden Gate PAGE 3 Gulf Shores Hall of Fame The Islander PAGE 6 INSIDE JULY 25, 2018 | GulfCoastNewsToday.com | 75¢ Gulf Shores finalizes Embassy Apartment complex Suites development agreement causes controversy By CRYSTAL COLE [email protected] A development in Gulf Shores has caused Officer candidate testing many residents to On June 20 the Gulf Shores complain and protest Police Departments held its passing to the City officer candidate testing. Council. This testing was unlike any The proposed devel- other testing in department opment would bring a history. To read more about 206-apartment complex near the downtown this special day, jump to area and has already page 18. been approved by the Planning Commission. In notes he put to- gether to present to SUBMITTED PHOTO the council, Pete Sims (who owns a condo on By CRYSTAL COLE the city had been working on Small Town, Big Beach Vision an adjacent property) [email protected] getting this project together 2025 for Sustainability with said he and others are for several years. priorities aimed at creating a not against develop- Flora-Bama works on The City of Gulf Shores has “On April 10, 2015 the city walkable, energetic beachfront ment of the 10-acre lot, property improvements finished its negotiations with issued a request for proposals district that will attract tour- but are against the type Ron Durham of D.D. Partners for a public-private Partner- ism, stimulate local business of development being The Flora-Bama Lounge, for a project development ship to construct a mixed-use and encourage business and brought forth. Package, and Oyster Bar agreement to build the new project on a 1.93-acre parcel residential relocation. The in- “The development has been working over the hotel across from the newly- of city-owned property within tent of the RFP was to identify will increase the popu- past two years on designs renovated Gulf Place. the Gulf Beach District,” a development partner to con- lation of the City of and improvements to its Economic Development Phelps said. “This district is Gulf Shores by almost properties that will provide Coordinator Blake Phelps said a key area of focus within the SEE EMBASSY, PAGE 31 5 percent (based on for better ingress/egress 512 people or 2.5 resi- of traffic, more parking dents per unit),” Sims’ spaces and a newly de- remarks said. “The de- signed crosswalk. To find velopment will add 400 to 500 more cars on an out more about the chang- Orange Beach lets CenturyLink already busy streets in es, see page 17. the residential area, not agreement go, still looking to add fiber to mention Gulf Shores proper which is almost DEATHS PAGE 13 By CRYSTAL COLE Councilman Jerry Johnson, a given zone opted in to the in a state of gridlock [email protected] who chairs the Telecommu- service. now. If this develop- Carol Margaret DiOrio nications and Technology The city would chip in $1 ment is approved, we Leonell M. Ditto The City of Orange Beach Committee, said the city had million with CenturyLink’s feel it will not be long Donna Sirmon Hadley will let its agreement with been working on bringing infrastructure investment before the four-way Melville Eugene Hansen CenturyLink to bring fiber better broadband to residents in the city estimated at $22- stop signs in the "Small optic internet to residential for years. He added that Cen- 24 million. The city would Town" section of Gulf Joe M. Johnson neighborhoods in Orange turyLink might not have been eventually get its money back Shores will be replaced Mary Catherine Norris Beach expire without renewal the right partner, but the com- based on annual revenue from by traffic signals. Jon David Parker next month. mittee is working on finding each customer who takes ser- We were told by the Linda Jane Adams Ratliff The contract was adopted someone else to bring the ser- vice. Real Estate Company William A.T. Smith by a resolution in August of vice to Orange Beach. After initial efforts and (Remax Paradise) that 2017 at a special-called City “We’re not giving up on public forums failed to yield the developer planned Council meeting. Under the bringing fiber internet to the the threshold needed to begin to build townhomes. We INDEX development agreement, residents of this city,” John- work, the City employed the were shocked to find CenturyLink proposed to con- son said. “We don’t consider assistance of a consultant to out after the fact that BALDWIN LIVING, 3 struct, install and place fiber this a failure it’s just one help give the signups a boost. a site plan had been CLASSIFIED, 21 optic facilities within the city. of the setbacks that you go “We had somebody working approved by the city HEALTH, 19 This would have made avail- through and we will continue fulltime for the last several Planning Commission able to owners and occupants to we find a solution.” months going to condos and for a high-density, four- LEGALS, 23 of residential units within the Work would begin after a door to door and just trying to story apartment com- OPINION, 5 city the option of symmetrical minimum threshold of 1,000 get one neighborhood to the plex with absolutely no 100 Megabyte (MB) or 1 Giga- residents applied with a $25 threshold to where we could prior notice to citizens OUT & ABOUT, 4 bit (GIG) high speed internet deposit due with the appli- start installing would be some living in the neighbor- PUZZLES, 8 services on a “fiber to the cation. CenturyLink would home” basis. offer fiber after 33 percent of SEE FIBER, PAGE 2 SEE APARTMENT, PAGE 2 SPORTS, 6 TV LISTINGS, 9 Gulf WHAT Coast YOU IN Media STORE VOLUME 42 • ISSUE 31 IS NOW 1 SECTION • 32 PAGES ONLINE! • Freshest Quality All Departments • Hand Selected by Our Personal Shoppers • Delivery or FREE Same Day Curbside Pickup • Beer & Wine NOW Online! Order & Pay In Store! GREERS.COM/SHOP 2 • The Islander • July 25, 2018 • Gulf Coast Media GSES All-Star team Congratulations to this 8U baseball team made up of many Gulf Shores Elementary School students. They made it all the way to the Alabama Cal Ripken All-Star state tour- nament, where they also earned a place in the regional All-Star tournament. What a fantastic summer baseball memory for these guys and their families. Go Dolphins!! Pictured from left are: Jon Patrick Meador, Landon Bodine, Bennett Taylor, Ryland Tice, Grey Goodman, Benton Brereton, Michael Ashley, Connor Ford, Kenny Sanders, Drew Furr and Lee Marshall. SUBMITTED PHOTO you might consider is to by parking.” the Planning Commis- the zoning ordinance Shores. APARTMENT look at your zoning ordi- West added he thought sion has done their job,” standards of approval.” “All short-term rent- CONTINUED FROM 1 nance and make changes the “cow was out of the Craft said. “I told you I’d Craft said the devel- als are licensed, but so that this won’t hap- barn” for this project, do a little digging to see oper has confirmed in there are times when hood; as a result the pen again,” West said. and that it just wasn’t what after the fact could writing that he has no people are renting with- residents were given no “I also think you ought a good project for that be done. Under the zon- interest in engaging out a license,” Bauer input.” to treat this project the area. ing ordinance, site plan in short-term rentals, said. “If we catch them David West, another way you treat the beach. Mayor Robert Craft approval is the sole re- something many against we make sure they cease concerned citizen, said That means if you have said he did some legal sponsibility of the Plan- the project fear will not renting their unit and the area around the one bedroom of condo, research from the pre- ning Commission. The hold true. sometimes have to take proposed project has you get a parking spot. vious meeting of the Planning Commission Planning Director them to court. We do changes radically in If you have two, you get residents to the City has no authority to deny Andy Bauer said the enforce that on a regular recent years with sev- two and so on. If you Council. He said so far approval to a project city’s ordinances and basis.” eral other apartment did that, they couldn’t in this process, the City that is allowed by right regulations require any The residents plan to complexes around the get that many people in Council has had no role. under the zoning ordi- short-term rental to continue to fight the de- property. that area. They’d be re- “If it’s approved by nance and that is other- have a business license velopment at subsequent “I think one thing stricted not by zone, but right and approved then wise in compliance with through the City of Gulf meetings. FIBER that,” Johnson said. mailed check. the city. thing similar,” Johnson Approved at the “CenturyLink’s reputa- Johnson said there “The good news is said. “So, we’ll be talking CONTINUED FROM 1 council meeting were: tion- they don’t trust were already several there’s another company to them in September to CenturyLink, and they possible providers in the in Tuscaloosa that is see what they’re bring- • Resolution authoriz- momentum,” Johnson really don’t have any works to bring fiber to very interested in some- ing to the table.” ing a franchise for CM said.