First phase of residential units to come before Orange Beach Planning Commission

By John Mullen
Gulf Coast Media
Posted 10/30/26

Two more areas of the Margaritaville Resort complex will seek final major subdivision approval for a total of 142 lots at the development on the north shore of the Intracoastal Waterway in Orange …

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First phase of residential units to come before Orange Beach Planning Commission

Posted

Two more areas of the Margaritaville Resort complex will seek final major subdivision approval for a total of 142 lots at the development on the north shore of the Intracoastal Waterway in Orange Beach.

The Orange Beach Planning Commission will consider the requests at its Nov. 9 meetings, including a work session at 3 p.m. and a regular session following at 4 p.m. at city hall.

Of the 142 lots up for consideration, 116 are part of the first phase of the residential districts to be north of the main entrance or Margaritaville Way. Another 26 are in the second phase planned on the south side of Margaritaville Way. All are planned to be cottage-style residences and were part of the original application.

Buildings the public can see under construction, including the multi-story structure at the complex, are part of the Waterfront District, which will contain 160 hotel rooms and 49 condos. When completed, the entire site will include 354 rental units.

Other plans for the resort in other phases include more than “50,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and dining outlets, a seven-acre amenity deck featuring multiple pools, waterslides and food and entertainment venues, all designed and operated under the Margaritaville brand.”

There will be spaces planned for an arcade, pickleball courts along with banquet and meeting spaces, the agreement states, as well as “infrastructure, including utility connections, waterworks, sewers, bridges, grading, curbing, guttering and paving of roads and streets, surface parking and other public improvements,” according to city documents. There will also be 42 transient boat slips built in phase one. See related story.

East of the Margaritaville complex, father-and-son team Richard and Maury Cobb are planning Long Bayou Preserve with 37 homes, a marina and large pool. Developers say additional lots not on the waterfront could be added to the development.

During the meeting, the commission will also discuss:

Amending three sections of the zoning ordinance on planned unit developments, density calculations, residential uses in business districts and buffering between properties with varying uses and in the sign ordinance to establish rules on content-neutral signs and measurable illumination levels. Ordinance changes must be voted on by city council. The commission’s vote serves as a recommendation on the changes. These three items were deferred from the Oct. 12 meeting;

Hear a request for a conditional use approval for the Toy Chest garage condominium for six storage buildings and a clubhouse at 5616 Roscoe. Only city council can approve conditional uses. The commission’s vote serves as a recommendation on the changes. This item was deferred from the Oct. 12 meeting;

Changing the lot line between lots one and two of the Walker Estates subdivision at 4852 Caswell Lane at the request of Richard T. Cowan. Caswell is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and has two homes dating before 1900. This was deferred from the Oct. 12 meeting; and

Re-platting four lots of the Bear Point Estates subdivision at 29758 Low Drive into two lots at the request of Ethan Williams.