Council roundup

Residents get look at proposed new road route in Gulf Shores

BY JOHN MULLEN johnm@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 10/31/16

GULF SHORES, AL – Residents who might be affected by a proposed road from the Foley Beach Express eventually to Alabama 59 in Gulf Shores were show preliminary plans on Oct. 18.

All residents …

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Council roundup

Residents get look at proposed new road route in Gulf Shores

Posted

GULF SHORES, AL – Residents who might be affected by a proposed road from the Foley Beach Express eventually to Alabama 59 in Gulf Shores were show preliminary plans on Oct. 18.

All residents were invited to have a look at the proposed road.

“There’s some homes based on the preliminary alignment that could be affected and those people were obviously concerned,” Public Works Director Mark Acreman said. “Understandably so. The whole endeavor was to solicit comments from the public.”

The project was broken down into phases one of which includes extending Waterway Boulevard East to the east then north to connect with undeveloped Waterplant Road.

Gulf Shores hopes to fund that part of the road through a TIGER grant which would include improvements all along the corridor of the new road. According to Economic Development Director Blake Phelps the city has been turned down two straight years for the grant but is reapplying again in 2017.

Phelps said other local governments, particularly Foley with its pedestrian bridge project, were denied in their first two years of applying. TIGER is Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program implemented by Congress in 2009.

In the most recently completed TIGER VII round $500 million was awarded to 39 capital projects in 33 states.

In other council business on Oct. 17 Gulf Shores discussed water barriers for the perimeter protection at festivals like the Hangout Music Festival and Shrimp Fest, buying a bomb-sniffing dog for the police department, a new track meet coming to the Sportsplex and identified items to be sold in the winter round of surplus items.

WATER BARRIERS

The Department of Homeland Security will pay for the barriers, but the city must come up with the $17,375 upfront and then be reimbursed by the federal agency.

The water-filled barriers will be incorporated into a traffic plan to assist in preventing “possible vehicle-borne terroristic type situations and incidents at our music, entertainment, and sporting events,” according to a city memo.

BOMB-SNIFFING DOG

As with the water barriers, the Department of Homeland Security will reimburse the city for the $20,516 cost of acquiring an Explosive Detection Dog.

It will be used for special events and specific threats and be available for surrounding communities’ use as well. In the past, officials said, police here might wait hours for a dog to be brought in for bomb-threat situations.

The new canine will be in addition to the city’s current program of canine officers who are trained to sniff out drugs and apprehend suspects.

SURPLUS SALE

Items in the surplus will go up for auction on Nov. 7 at govdeals.com and closes on Nov. 21. Among items available are several vehicles, golf carts, an ATV, computer equipment, cleaning equipment and a variety of other items. All sales are ‘as is.’