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Orange Beach council denies appeal to allow home-based golf cart rentals
Summary
The Orange Beach City Council denied an appeal from Shore Thing Golf Carts LLC to reverse a business-license denial, citing a city ordinance that limits new rental operations; the applicant said he purchased two carts after initial approval and sought clarity and relief.
The Orange Beach City Council on Sept. 16 denied an appeal by Shore Thing Golf Carts LLC to overturn a business-license denial for home-based golf cart rentals.
The applicant, Randall M. Rickard, an Orange Beach resident and retired Pensacola law-enforcement officer, told the council that he and his son submitted a home-occupation application and paid for a business license in June after receiving what they understood to be approval. “We were approved. The city took our money, and then we were denied,” Rickard said, recounting the timeline and the purchase of two golf carts he said cost about $20,000.
City Administrator Ford Hanley told the council that the current city ordinance does not allow any new rental businesses in Orange Beach. “Currently, our ordinance does not allow any new rentals, in Orange Beach,” Hanley said, adding that allowing the license would require changing the ordinance.
Council members discussed administrative errors in processing the application and expressed sympathy for Rickard’s outlay. Council member Silvers clarified the ordinance’s timeline, saying it “went into effect 10/01/2024” and that Rickard’s application was filed in June 2025. Mayor Kenning said he had “sympathy and empathy” for Rickard after the applicant said city staff had initially approved the license.
Several council members stressed the ordinance’s intent to limit rentals operated from residences to protect neighborhood character and to prevent businesses from operating in multiple residential areas. Staff and council members noted existing enforcement efforts against out-of-town operators who drop off rentals in the city.
A motion to grant the business license was moved and seconded; after discussion the council voted against the motion. The clerk announced, “Any opposed? No. No. Okay.” The motion to grant was therefore defeated and the appeal denied.
The council did not record individual roll-call votes in the public portion of the transcript. The applicant was refunded previously for the license payment after staff rechecked the ordinance, and council members suggested the applicant could seek alternative, brick-and-mortar options if he wished to continue in the market.
The council’s denial leaves in place the existing ordinance language that prevents new residential-based rental operations without a formal change to the municipal code.
