Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) —  The Orange Beach City Council held a special-called meeting Monday to consider pursuing the purchase of a local RV park property. The council heard a financial presentation from City Administrator Ford Handley before voting on a resolution. A motion to authorize an independent appraisal ultimately failed. The meeting then moved into executive session to address pending litigation. Handley confirmed to us that the developer for the Pirate Theater has withdrawn their application for the property.

The meeting took place on Monday, June 29, at 12:00 pm, at Orange Beach City Hall. The council faced a July 4, 2026, deadline tied to a third-party purchase option.

The property in question is the Beech RV Park, a 23.7-acre parcel zoned primarily as a mobile home park. A private party had the land under contract and offered to convey the purchase option to the city before the contract expired.

The asking price was $14 million. Baldwin County assessed the land value alone at $4.729 million in 2026, without accounting for income generated by the operating RV park.

Handley told the council that the city currently holds about $120 million in reserves. Purchasing the property would consume roughly one-eighth of those reserves before any improvements were made.

Staff identified additional costs beyond the purchase price. Drainage improvements alone were estimated to cost between $1 million and $5 million, depending on scope. Equipment, trucks, and four new staff positions would add roughly $464,000 in first-year costs.

Handley said his recommendation was not to proceed with the purchase. He noted that the proceeding could require delaying planned projects, including a new pool, fitness center upgrades, and a proposed civic center.

About an hour before the meeting, Heron Valuation Group withdrew its original $8,500 appraisal quote. Frank Reed of Heron told Handley he could not meet the city's timeline. That left a single appraisal option at $15,000.

Council members raised questions about ownership of the property and whether the city could negotiate directly with the Beech family rather than through the third party. Handley said the letter from the intermediary indicated that direct negotiation with the seller was possible.

One council member noted that the property size had been listed inconsistently — at 16.2, 23, and 28 acres at different points — before 23.7 acres was confirmed.

Several council members expressed doubt about the property's $14 million value. One said other businesses had looked at it and passed, suggesting the market had already weighed in.

A motion was made to adopt a modified resolution authorizing an appraisal of up to $15,000. The motion failed. With no appraisal authorized, the council indicated there was no path forward for the purchase under the current timeline.

The council then entered executive session to discuss pending litigation. The session was expected to last about one hour, with no plan to reconvene afterward.