Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is looking to add even more sidewalks along the north side of West Beach Boulevard. Thanks to a Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation, 80 percent of the project will be funded, with the city covering the remaining 20 percent. The council will discuss hiring Civil Southeast for professional services on the project in an upcoming work session.

The council will meet in a work session on Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall. The 10-foot sidewalk will be constructed from West 11th Street east on West Beach Boulevard to its intersection with West Lagoon Avenue near the Pier 33 grocery store.

The council will face two measures concerning the TAP grant at the meeting, the first to hire Civil Southeast for construction design and construction engineering and inspection for $80,910. The council will also consider an additional $11,150 for Civil Southeast to cover other services for design not covered by the TAP grant, including “topographic survey and the (pre-construction notification) environmental checklist submission.”

Adding the sidewalk will cost just over $1 million, with the TAP grant covering $800,000 and the city’s match for professional services covering the remainder.

Items discussed in the work session may be voted on in the next regular session on Feb. 23.

During the work session, the council will also discuss:

• Granting a liquor license to Safari & Vine, replacing the old Savanna Restaurant at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. Savanna announced it would close in May 2025.
• Accepting the streets in Craft Farms Phases 1 & 2 for maintenance by the city. Streets include:
• Gailes Road (portion)
• Cartgate Drive
• Montague Drive
•  Dorset Lane
•  Swilcan Lane (portion)
•  Balgove Drive
•  A request from Julie’s Beachside Services to operate a taxi franchise in the city.
• Placing a moratorium on accepting applications for “zoning text amendments, rezonings, new planned unit developments, and major subdivisions” to allow for staff to develop a Comprehensive Plan. The aim of the moratorium “allows cities to ensure sustainable growth, protect community interests, and address pressing environmental and infrastructure concerns,” a memo from Assistant City Administrator and Community Development Director Lee Jones.
• Approving a third change order for the construction of the new high school to add $751,288 and adding an extra 18 days to the contract, pushing the ending date to March 17. Most of the work is planned for courtyard areas to add seating and tables, raising the total project cost to $139.6 million.
• An assembly permit for the Badger Beach Bash at Gulf Place on Feb. 27-28, with Spring Hill College of Mobile as the tournament host. Teams from Berry College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Wesleyan College, and Erskine College will also be competing. Matches start at 8 a.m. on both days with competition wrapping up about 4 p.m. daily.
• An assembly permit for the Ballyhoo Festival of Fine Arts & Culture on March 7-8 at the Lake Shelby picnic grounds in Gulf State Park.