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Council adopts ordinance allowing 16 permanent boat slips in Moondance PUD
Summary
The Orange Beach City Council voted June 2 to amend the Moondance PUD to permit 16 assigned, non-rental finger piers tied to individual lots. Residents raised concerns about dredging, traffic and future expansion; the applicant said slips will be deed-restricted and limited to boat lifts.
Orange Beach took up a request June 2 to amend Ordinance No. 172 to allow 16 permanent boat slips on a common pier in the Moondance planned unit development and adopted the change after a public hearing.
Planner/applicant Brady Griffin (Speaker 13) told the council the PUD master plan approved in 2021 envisioned a common pier that did not include permanent slips, and the application seeks to add 16 assigned finger piers “for the residents, in that subdivision” with no rentals allowed. Griffin said the slips would be accessory to individual waterfront lots and would include boat lifts.
Nearby residents expressed concern about permitting, dredging and traffic. “Why do we wanna allow it now?” said a resident (Speaker 16) who described the neighborhood as originally planned for three slips and asked what would prevent future expansion. Mark Keel (Speaker 17), an adjacent property owner and later applicant representative, said the water depth required dredging, that permits would be required from the Corps and the state, and that deeds and bylaws would be amended so slips remain tied to the lot. Keel said: “There’s no limitation on the size. There’s no wet slips there. So no there’s no sailboats.”
Council members asked about capacity and enforcement. The applicant said slips would be 12 feet wide (limiting boat length to roughly 40 feet), would require boat lifts, and would be assigned rather than available on a first-come basis. Griffin and Keel said the change is meant to organize existing mooring activity and prevent a disorderly mix of boats.
Council moved for unanimous consent to suspend rules for immediate consideration and then adopted the ordinance by roll call. The motion to adopt was made from the dais and carried with the body’s recorded votes; the council proceeded to implement the PUD amendment.
The ordinance directs city staff to process required permits and record whatever deed restrictions and bylaw changes are necessary for enforcement. Council discussion and public comments stressed that Corps of Engineers and state permitting remain prerequisites and that any future increase in slips would require separate approvals.
The decision is final as adopted at the June 2 meeting; staff will follow up on permit coordination and any required deed-recording steps.
