Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is waiting on two right of way acquisitions of state property to help complete two road projects, one on Waterway East Boulevard and the other a new bypass road south of the Gulf Pines neighborhood.

During the work session on Sept. 19, City Engineer Mark Acreman detailed how the city needed property near the state’s mariculture center in the Business and Aviation Park. Acreman also updated the council on upcoming beach renourishment.

“The city received a $21.7 million RESTORE grant to improve and extend Waterway East to proposed transportation improvements currently being bid by ALDOT,” Acreman told the council. “A portion of Waterway East extension requires acquisition of rights-of-way currently owned by the ADCNR. This specifically at the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center property.”

Acreman said the value of the right of way the city wants to buy is about $199,100 and the value of right of way the city will give ADCNR is about $64,400 with the difference being $134,700. His department is asking for a total of $160,000 to cover closing costs.

The funding will be included in the $6.7 million budgeted for the Waterway East Boulevard project, Acreman said.

“We have bid this project and we are currently working through the scope of the project with the contractor to see if we can gather some savings on what was bid,” Acreman said. “This is also going to serve as a gateway to the Gulf Shores International Airport.”

Currently, the holdup is a federal approval because the state park used a federal grant on improvements in the park. The parks are under the umbrella of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“We have used some federal money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to do projects in Gulf State Park,” ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship said. “That gives a federal nexus to that property so we have to coordinate with them on any land swaps or any changes to the property that we used money from the fund on projects there.”

The money comes from federal coffers but goes through another state agency which has to work to get the federal OK to proceed with the land swap.

“We coordinate that through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, ADECA,” Blankenship said. “They are the ones that administer those Land and Water Conservation Funds. It’s been dragging and the federal government has been really slow on this.”

Blankenship said the land swap for the bypass should be a simple one once the federal approval comes down.

“It’s really just a reconfiguration right there where that northwest corner of that property is,” Blankenship said. “It’s a pretty easy change right there. I’d like to get it finished up and I’m sure Gulf Shores would like to get their project done.”

BEACH RENOURISHMENT
 

Another federal approval is needed before the work can be done to engineer new beaches eroded by years of storms since the last renourishment in 2012.

“We’re still going through our FEMA approval, but we’re close to getting that,” Acreman said. “I talked to our consultant, Al Browder, last week regarding what is the status of this and we’re still hoping to go out to bid next month and start construction in November. That would put us about February wrapping up Gulf Shores’ portion of the beach renourishment.”

Orange Beach will also be renourishing beaches there in the same project.

During the work session, the council also discussed:

• Nominating Sherry Hoffman to the Library Advisory Board to replace Bobbie Rooker who passed away earlier this year. Her term would be through Nov. 1, 2026 if appointed.

• Authorizing emergency medical services Medicaid reimbursements to the fire department.

• A public assembly permit for the Coastal Alabama Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival Nov. 12-13 at Gulf Place.