Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – As part of a development fee to build the opulent Turquoise Place on the Gulf in Orange Beach, developer Larry Wireman gave the city two parcels of land and $400,000 with stipulations as to how the land and money would be used.

Wireman alleged in a 2020 lawsuit the city didn’t use the property or money as spelled out in the contract and therefore the land and money should revert to him and his company October Investments.

At the next city council regular/work session on Sept. 3, the city will discuss settling that lawsuit by conducting a land swap with Wireman. The city will relinquish a nearly one-acre tract west of Turquoise intended for vehicular and pedestrian beach access. Also, a nearly 6-acrea tract on Cotton Bayou the city was contractually obligated to develop some sort of public safety presence and recreation access, will revert back to Wireman if the council OKs the settlement.

In return, Wireman will hand over two tracts of 1.2 acres and 1.13 acres west of the middle/high school complex to the city, also pending council approval.

In December, Wireman presented plans for the two parcels he is seeking to the planning commission to build a seven-story condo building with 90 units on the Cotton Bayou tract and a six-unit building and clubhouse on the Gulf-front lot.

During the regular session, the council will also discuss:

• Checks paid to vendors and suppliers totaling $1.4 million Aug. 22-Sept. 4.
• Declaring September as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month in Orange Beach.
• Approving a liquor license for the Pelican Grill at 27267 Perdido Beach Blvd. in San Roc Cay.
• Continuing its annual donation of $50,000 to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
• A contract with McCollough Architecture for $14,000 for design services for a pickleball bathroom building. The entire facility will be 980 square feet with a 784-square-foot covered porch with a total cost of about $450,000. See related story.
• Authorizing an Assist to Firefighters grant agreement with the Department of Homeland Security for $865,714 for portable radios. The entire cost is $909,000 and the city will provide a 5 percent match of $43,285.
• Buying the materials for a greenhouse for the Coastal Resources Department for $75,305.
• Approving a change order for the work on the Justice Center roof and fascia replacement with Green-Simmons to increase design pressures by $45,667 and increasing the entire project cost to just under $1.3 million.
• Buying a video surveillance system for the golf center from Vision Security Technologies for $30,899.
• Authorizing an amendment to a grant from the National Audubon Society for $35,544 to extend the stewardship of the coastal Alabama beach-nesting bird habitat for another year through Sept. 30, 2025.
• A contract with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for the city to provide monitoring, permitting, inspection and regulation services. The city will be reimbursed $37,950 in the contract.
• Hiring Thompson Engineering to complete a stormwater master plan for Bear Point. Restore Act funding will pay for 80 percent of the project with the city providing a 20 percent match for the $312,500 project.
• Buying in-car camera systems for the police department for $44,560 from Motorola Solutions.
• Authorizing the use of two ATVs from the Coastal Resources Department for use by the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber for the 51st annual National Shrimp Festival.
• An ordinance to allow for Keel Storage phase four to add two mini-warehouse storage buildings at 27103 Canal Road east of Sam’s Stop N Shop. This will include a public hearing on the change.

During the work session, the council will discuss:

• Naming Mayor Tony Kennon and council members Jeff Boyd, Joni Blalock, Jerry Johnson, Annette Mitchell and Jeff Silvers and City Administrator Ford Handley to the city’s Solid Waste Disposal Authority.
• Authorizing a grant application to build a safe room for first responders during storms for a total of $6.2 million with the city’s 10 percent match at $627,916 if the grant is awarded.
• A contract with Tanner Myatt for golf instruction services.
• Awarding the bid for the Canal Road multi-use trail connectivity projects. Bids will be opened on Sept. 12 and no description of the work to be performed was included in the agenda.