Gulf Shores Debates Late-Night Bar Operations

John Mullen • February 11, 2024

Gulf Shores Council to Discuss Sewer Plant and Arbor Day

Gulf Shores City Hall

Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Owners of the Cohiba Dunes bar will go before the Gulf Shores City Council again on Feb. 12 to try and convince the city to continue its business license for 2024.

 

A resolution on the agenda to OK the 2024 and will be voted on by the council at the 4 p.m. meeting in council chambers at city hall. If passed, the resolution places 14 conditions to be met by the owners including closing the back door at 10 p.m. to customers and having the property cleared by 2 a.m.

 

In 2023, the council voted to give Cohiba a conditional license including some standards the late-night club must meet in order to have a license for 2024.

 

Most of the problems at the club were with the late-night crowd and owner Dan Alexander said most of his business is when restaurant workers file in after their shifts. Alexander showed the council pictures of his bar at midnight and then on the same night at 1 a.m. Click here to see all the conditions in the resolution.

 

“There are 7 people in there at midnight,” Alexander said. “Then at 1 a.m., there are 85 to 100 people in there.”

 

The bar had been staying open until 3 a.m. but Deputy Police Chief Dan Netemeyer said that’s when the late-night instances have occurred with highly intoxicated customers and drug activity.

 

Alexander said at the Jan. 22 meeting he and his staff would come up with a business plan to try and attract more business in the early evening hours and were considering offering food to achieve that goal.

 

During the meeting, the council will also discuss:

 

  • A request from Baldwin County Sewer Service for a conditional use permit to expand its operations at a plant on Fort Morgan Road. The council previously denied the request after it said the company built and began using a new sludge pond without the city’s knowledge or approval.
  • Proclaiming Feb. as Arbor Day in the city and having a tree giveaway for residents.
  • An assembly for the We Run the Beach Marathon events on Feb. 24-25 at the Gulf State Park Pavilion.
  • An assembly permit for the Springhill College Badger Beach Tournament on March 1-2 at West Gulf Place.
  • An assembly permit for Papa Rocco’s annual St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl starting at the pizza restaurant at 9:30 a.m.
  • An assembly permit for the University of Mobile’s beach volleyball tournament on March 22-23 at West Gulf Place.
  • Approving a liquor license for the new Publix store being built in place of the old Winn-Dixie near downtown Gulf Shores. There will be a public hearing on the license at the Feb. 12 regular session.
  • Starting a spring concert series in the Waterway Village District on Thursday evenings from March 7-April 14. The concerts are free and replace the Zydeco and Crawfish Festival. The agenda item is to authorize paying $25,900 for artists to perform.
  • Approving hiring TetraTech for debris monitoring after a man-made or natural disaster. The cost of monitoring will be reimbursed with 75 percent coming from FEMA and the city and state will each contribute 12.5 percent.
  • A proposal from Barge Design Solutions for professional services for phase one of the Waterway West Boulevard improvement project for $785,580. The scope of the project includes repairs and realignment of the roadway as well as pedestrian improvements. Overall, it is a $3.2 million project.
  • A proposal from Civil Southeast for $88,150 for engineering services for improvements along East First Street from East 16th Avenue to East 19th Avenue. The cost of the project is just over $1 million with a state Transportation Alternatives Program grant providing $800,000 and the city’s match portion will be $208,980 with the cost spread out over fiscal years 2023-25.
  • Authorizing the mayor to enter a right-of-way agreement with Gulf Shores Utilities for a new water tower near where the new high school is under construction.
  • A new construction and demolition franchise with Superior Dumpster Service through Dec. 31, 2025.
  • The donation of old fire department radios and equipment to Summerdale, Robertsdale, Elsanor and Oyster Bay fire departments.

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