Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Developers are making plans on at least two projects in the area of the former toll booth north of the Intracoastal Waterway. On the east side of the booth, Margaritaville is looking for a rezoning to put in a small single-family subdivision in addition to other requests. And, on the west side of the booth, Engineering Design Group is back with a request that spawned a controversy. Coastal Cottages was part of a de-annexation effort by the city because officials say multi-unit developments north of the waterway will overburden city infrastructure, including sewer service.

The Orange Beach Planning Commission will take up the items at its Aug. 11 meeting with the work session at 3 p.m. and the regular session at 4 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.

Margaritaville developers want to rezone lot three of the complex from general business to planned unit development to build a gated community with 12 single-family residences. They are also asking for approval for major subdivision on the lot, but any zoning requests have to be approved by the city council after the planning commission issues a recommendation.

Also, at Margaritaville, developers are asking for approval of a site plan review on 7.8 acres in lot one to build an amenity district including pools, a building, accessory buildings, and recreational structures.

Craig Johnson of Engineering Design Group is back with the Coastal Cottages plan where Mississippi-based Coastal Land Properties wants to put in a 136-unit townhome subdivision on 41.2 acres west of the former toll booth office. When developers first made the request to the city, they received a letter from the city saying this land was on the list to be de-annexed from the city because of infrastructure concerns.

Across the Beach Express, Margaritaville has plans for 354 rental units, with 160 in a key condo-hotel, 49 traditional condos, 97 resort cottages, and 48 resort bungalows.

Another development is also currently planned in the city near the intersection of Roscoe Road and the Foley Beach Express, where developers hope to build Cypress Square, a 60-unit townhome development in 10 buildings.

During the meetings, the commission will also discuss.

• A request to combine three and a half lots into one located at 26790 Moses Road for Donald and Genevieve Neal.
• A request to replat four lots into two lots for an express oil change garage with two buildings. Canal Square runs off Canal Road between O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and Bad Ass Coffee Company and leads to a townhome subdivision called Canal Square.
• Moving the lot line for lot one of the Village of Tannin Town Center to increase the lot’s size. In preliminary plans, this lot was set aside for a fire station, but it was never planned. Developers now want to put a single-family home on the lot.