Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores voted to approve an amendment to a contract with Jade Consulting adding $28,700 in design costs to a budding city project to make improvements along Windmill Ridge Road, West Fourth Street and a portion of West First Avenue.

The council approved the amendment to the project with a unanimous 6-0 vote at a council regular session on June 10. It is currently still in the design phase.

“We’re planning to add a pedestrian path along West First Avenue from Fourth Street to Sixth Street,” Construction Manager Cline Colvin told the council.

The big part of the project will be a makeover of Windmill Ridge, Colvin said.

“For Windmill Ridge, we’re basically looking at reconstructing the road due to the shape it’s in,” Colvin said. “There will be some drainage improvements and a pedestrian path along the south side of the road from Highway 59 to West Fourth Street. There will be a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the existing vehicular bridge.”

The West Fourth Bridge has been unused for many years with the first effort to redesign it and bring it back into service failed in 2014 when a state grant fell through. This project aims to get the bridge back in use and add a pedestrian path as well.

“The bridge will be replaced and reopened,” Colvin said. “This bridge will include a pedestrian path as well as the vehicular travel lanes. A pedestrian path will be added along Fourth Street from Windmill to West Beach Boulevard. Fourth Street will be re-paved as well.”

During the regular session, the council also:

• Approved expense vouchers in the amount of $2.6 million including capital purchases of about $325,000 for new police vehicles and messaging boards and a mower. About $1.7 million was spent on capital projects with the majority of that for construction of the new Gulf Shores High School. Operating expenses for the two-week period was $616,000.
• Recognized city youth baseball all-star teams. The city league eight-and-under, 11-and-under and 12-and-under teams will advance to the state tournament at Oxford the weekend of June 15.
• Had a public hearing on an amendment to the city ordinance regarding screened enclosures at city homes. The council approved the change after just one reading.
• Changed the title of the Airport Authority head from manager to Airport Director.
• Authorized a contract with Dream4 for $102,150 for city employee leadership training from June of 2024 until February 2025. 
• Approved applying for a new fire boat through the FEMA Port Security Grant program at a cost of about $704,000. There is a 25 percent match required by the city and Chief of Staff Melvin Shepard said there is money in the budget for this purpose. See related story.
• Declared certain items owned by the city as surplus and approved their sale on govdeals.com. Included in this lot are two 2014 Tahoes and one 2013 Tahoe formerly used as police vehicles.
• Approved the application for a FAA grant to build a passenger terminal at Gulf Shores Airport. The grant is for $5 million and the city will put in as much as $3 million.