Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is making plans to develop a park on land it owns on Coastal Gateway Boulevard or the former County Road 8. During the Oct. 17 work session the city council will discuss awarding a bid for design of three projects for $10.9 million involving the parcel in the coming years.

The 127-acre parcel was pieced together when the city accepted a donation of 46 acres along the improved roadway in 2016 and then bought 81 acres adjacent to the first parcel in 2021.

“Because of the additional land now available and the desire to master-plan the entire parcel, the city released a (request for quote) for master planning services to incorporate all public needs related to this property,” a staff memo attached to the meeting agenda states. “The proposed Coastal Gateway Community Park property is a relatively flat, undeveloped area, totaling 127 acres in size, which can be reached from either State Highway 59 or the Foley-Beach Express. A north-south connector road, elementary school, utility improvements and public safety facilities are envisioned as future needs to be master-planned.”

Eight firms submitted proposals to the Recreation Committee and its recommendation was to hire Dix.Hite Partners to handle the design of three projects for $1.7 million. If the council votes to proceed with the plan at a future regular session the overall master plan will cost $175,000, design of phase one will cost about $1 million and design of the north-south connector will cost $518,200.

The 2022 budget calls for $300,000 for community park development and $10.6 million will be budgeted during the budget years 2023-25 a staff memo states. A separate budget item calls for $6.9 million for construction of the connector road.

During the work session, the council will also discuss:

• Surplus of unneeded items on govdeals.com from Oct. 24 through Nov. 8. The fall list includes eight SUVs or pickups and one wave runner.

• Setting municipal court dates for 2023.

• An assembly permit for the Winter Concert Series at Erie Meyer Civic Center with events scheduled for Jan. 30-31, Feb. 6-7, Feb. 16 and March 2. Entertainment includes a tribute to the Piano Men Billy Joel and Elton John, legendary cowboy trio Riders in the Sky, Marc Broussard and Paul Thorn.

• An annexation request from Alicia King for a single-family residence located at 6981 Grund Lane north of County Road 8 west.

• A rezoning request of a .74-acre parcel in the 18400 block of State Route 180 or Fort Morgan Road to change from single-family residential to a duplex district on the vacant lot. The changed received a 9-0 favorable recommendation at the September planning commission meeting with conditions that three detached single-family dwellings be built on the parcel.

• The Waterway mixed-use development at the former site of Frith’s Bait Shop to include two short-term rentals, retail space and mobile vendor court able to have five food or retail vendors. The plan received a 9-0 favorable recommendation at the September planning commission meeting. See related story here.