Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – While saying it’s an “absurdity” that the first thing visitors to Orange Beach see is the stalled and decaying Bama Bayou project, Mayor Tony Kennon also announced the city may partner with The Wharf on another project near the site.

Kennon made his remarks at the close of the Aug. 16 joint regular/work council meeting. On Monday, it was announced The Wharf bought 86 undeveloped acres in what Councilman Jeff Boyd said was a foreclosure sale. This new purchase and project will not impact the buildings on the site that have sat empty since 2008.

“It is nothing but a crack house, it is a dangerous place, it is an absurdity that it is the gateway to Orange Beach and Alabama’s beaches,” Kennon said. “I’m hoping that people will start calling their legislators or calling anybody they can think to call to start pushing somebody to help us get rid of this blight.”

A 13-year long saga continues in lawsuit after lawsuit with no end in sight. In the past few years, a couple of plans were brought forward to buy and finish the development, the latest by a company called Presidium out of Texas, but none were brought to fruition.

“It’s just attorneys making more money which makes me sick to my stomach,” Kennon said. “It’s been in court for 13 years if I’m not mistaken and that’s at our expense. It’s a hamster wheel of attorneys making money and getting rich while it just spins in the court system.”

Kennon said questions are raised regularly as to why the empty buildings haven’t been removed.

“Unfortunately, the buildings, the blight, the third-world country is on five acres that is separate from all the other property,” Kennon said. “It’s still held by the bank. For whatever reason it’s been protected by the courts for 13 years. We declared it a public nuisance and the judge would not allow us to take action. I wanted to say that so people would know why we can’t attack those buildings and take them down.”

In the coming weeks, the city plans to have meetings with The Wharf officials on working together developing the 86 acres.

“There’s 80-something acres that was purchased by The Wharf, 47 are dry the rest are wet,” Kennon said. “We’re going to try to work with them on some type of public-private partnership. We’re going to meet in the next couple of weeks to talk about that.”

During the regular session, the council:

• Heard about “Full Moon Paddle” events organized by the city to raise money for the Child Advocacy Center and heard a presentation from Program Director Niki Whitaker.

• Approved of a special events retail liquor license application by Wharf Restaurant Group for the “B2P5 Event” Aug. 19 at The Wharf Parkway West.

• Passed a resolution adopting a City of Orange Beach FY2023 Transportation Plan as required by the Build Back Alabama gas tax law passed in 2019. The city is due to receive about $50,000 from the new tax.

• Passed a resolution appropriating funds to the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program in the amount of $10,000.

• OK’d a change in the planned unit development for the Cobblestone Hotel at The Wharf on the site of the former mini golf course. It will be a four-story, 63-room hotel with a restaurant and a swimming pool.

During the work session, the council discussed:

• A resolution authorizing execution of a cooperative service agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to supplement nuisance wildlife control services in an amount not to exceed $6,000.

• A resolution authorizing execution of a cooperative agreement with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for the city to provide permitting, regulating, monitoring, and inspection services and be reimbursed in an amount not to exceed $37,950.   

• A resolution awarding the bid for 2022 roadway resurfacing. Bids will be opened on Sept. 1.

• A resolution authorizing execution of a performance contract with Safe Span for engineering and bridge inspection professional services in an amount not to exceed $2,600.

• A resolution authorizing the execution of a performance contract with Brandy Reeves for tennis instruction services.

• Setting a public hearing date for an ordinance amending the Beach Village planned unit development, phase two. The suggested date was Sept. 6.