Beach front entrance church could develop into resort

By Melanie LeCroy / [email protected]

Romar Seashore Baptist Church and Retreat Centre could shortly have a new life as a hotel just after the Orange Beach City Council accredited to rezone the 1.8-acre home.

Romar Seashore Baptist Church has faced quite a few trials because its beginning. The authentic beach front setting up was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. The church rebuilt and committed the current setting up in 2008. COVID-19 prompted a decline of retreat income. Then Hurricane Sally induced major h2o harm to the inside and creating methods and ruined the seaside entrance boardwalk. The hurt was believed at more than $600,000.

Repairs have been ongoing for the past 12 months regardless of becoming shown for sale for $6.5 million according to a June 15, 2020, article by The Alabama Baptist.

A&R Team in Gulf Shores, on the behalf of Romar Seashore Baptist Church Inc., requested the 1.8-acre residence be rezoned from RM-2 to PUD for the purpose of changing the present constructing into a resort. The RM-2 zoning did not allow for a resort but did permit for a rental making. The Orange Seashore City Council regarded this as a downzoning in the residence.

“This is a transform in zoning but it’s a down zoning not an up zoning,” said Councilmember Annette Mitchell.

The present constructing has five flooring and an attached parking garage with two levels. The proposed lodge will be an Aloft by Marriott with 76 lodging rooms. Ideas connect with for extending floors 3, 4 and 5 around the parking deck to improve the square footage. The Orange Seashore Planning Fee and Town Council pushed for a coastal glance on the exterior of the developing. The council did not really feel the latest system satisfied their necessity.

The public listening to did have opposition from the neighboring house to the west. Ian and Ben Boles are the homeowners of Seaside New music which has a number of 4- and eight-bed room duplexes that are utilized as brief-phrase family vacation rentals.

“This is heading to be a major detriment to our home. It is likely to be 5 tales exactly where now it is two tales as far as the place our major properties are. It’s likely to block out a good deal of the view, a large amount of the sun. We just truly feel like it’s wrong and it is bringing in additional than what is at present there,” Boles mentioned to the council.

Councilmember Jeff Boyd produced a movement to suspend the rule to make it possible for for immediate thought of the ordinance amendment. The council vote was unanimous in favor. The ordinance modification was passed unanimously with a affliction to improve the coastal glance of the challenge and submit the revised drawings to the City Council for acceptance just before development.

Through the standard session, the council:

  • Passed a resolution appropriating funds in the total of $217,451.95 to Makos Lecturers, Arts and Athletics Club.
  • Passed a resolution authorizing the execution of a Memorandum of Arrangement with the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Guests Bureau to fund athletic facility upgrades
  • Handed a resolution adopting the 2021 Baldwin County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Prepare.
  • Handed a resolution authorizing execution of an agreement in between the Baldwin County Fee, the metropolis of Orange Seashore and the Orange Beach front Scheduling Commission regarding subdivision restrictions within just the organizing jurisdiction of the municipal planning commission.
  • Handed a resolution declaring town property as surplus and unneeded and authorizing the Mayor and Metropolis Clerk to dispose of this kind of house.
  • Handed a resolution declaring a automobile owned by the metropolis as surplus and unneeded and authorizing the donation to the Back Place Trail Basis, Inc.
  • Passed a resolution authorizing execution of a 2nd Amended and Restated Fiber optics Enhancement Arrangement with Island Fiber, relating to “Fiber at Home” expert services. This improves a loan dedication to Island Fiber from the unique $1.2 million in November 2019 to a overall of $3.4 million.
  • Handed a resolution awarding the bid for Fire Station 5 bay relocations to Solar Coast Buildings in an quantity not to exceed $163,200.
  • Passed a resolution declaring the Hearth Station 5 equipment bay framework located at The Wharf owned by the metropolis of Orange Seashore as surplus and authorizing the sale to Wharf Retail Houses, LLC.
  • Handed a resolution authorizing the purchase of two employing motor vehicles for the police office from the Alabama Office of Economic and Local community Affairs in the sum of $28,000.
  • Passed a resolution appropriating funds to South Baldwin Regional Health-related Centre for the reason of sponsoring employs appreciation times in the sum of $1,000.