Orange Beach considers microeffeciency apartments

By: Crystal Cole/ Islander Editor
Posted 12/11/17

An apartment community planned unit development (PUD) divided Orange Beach’s City Council at its first December meeting.

The developer seeks to build micro efficiency apartments east of the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Subscribe to continue reading. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Get the gift of local news. All subscriptions 50% off for a limited time!

You can cancel anytime.
 

Please log in to continue

Log in

Orange Beach considers microeffeciency apartments

Posted

An apartment community planned unit development (PUD) divided Orange Beach’s City Council at its first December meeting.

The developer seeks to build micro efficiency apartments east of the Baldwin EMC building on the beach express. The location is University Lane and Roscoe Road. The planning commission had previously shot this down unanimously citing insufficient parking for the proposed 216 units planned.

The developer came back with a reduction of half the units, gaining approval from the planning commission and making it through to city council consideration.

Councilwoman Annette Mitchell, who sits on the planning commission, said she was pleased with the work the developer did.

“They now have the required parking spaces for a studio apartment that size,” Mitchell said. “I truly think that this is the right place for this project and the right time for this project.”

Mitchell added the proposed apartments were no different than studios seen in most metropolitan areas.

Councilman Jerry Johnson expressed concerns of parking overflow and the units being used as workforce housing, with several people being crammed into a tiny space.

“Apartment managers can manage as long as everything is how it should be in the lease,” Johnson said. “If he goes and sees four dogs and a bunch of people doing some extracurricular activities, that manager is not going to take that on. He’s going to call 911, and we’ve got to go help with that. It’s going to take a long way for me to say this is needed in Orange Beach.”

The council took no action on the PUD at the meeting.

Approved at the meeting were:

- Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute service orders with UnitiFiber for existing Perdido Beach Boulevard traffic signals

- Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a task order with Burk-Kleinpeter to perform environmental studies, permitting and conceptual design of the Wolf Bay Bridge in an amount not to exceed $242,800.

- Resolution authorizing the execution of a software agreement with Callback Staffing Solutions.

- Resolution authorizing execution of a professional services agreement with Shazam Interactive for website development, social media services, training and staff support for digital marketing.

- Resolution authorizing the purchase of real property from Gulf Sand Development and authorizing the Mayor to execute a purchase and sale agreement.

- Resolution authorizing the purchase of real property from Bellator Real Estate & Development and authorizing the Mayor to execute a purchase and sale agreement.