City staff and the owner of a new bar and lounge in Gulf Shores recently addressed a resident's concerns about the building under renovation on the corner of East 2nd Street and East 22nd Avenue.

A proposal, which was to be voted on on Monday but ended up not appearing on the agenda, would convert Galway Public House into a bar/lounge, add four multifamily units on the upper floor and create 15 remote parking spaces. The building was called Waterway Wines when the site plan was approved in June 2022. Documents indicated it would be a retail wine store, wine tasting room and limited restaurant.

An audience member at a July 17 work session of Gulf Shores City Council raised several questions about the proposal, questioning the concept of the restaurant and the shift from Waterway Wines to Galway Public House. She also voiced concerns that, if approved, it would cause a disruption to nearby businesses and children in the neighborhood.

Jonathan Langston, a founding partner of Elite Restaraunt Group, which represents Bleus Burger in Gulf Shores and Galway . He also addressed audience concerns and helped explain the concept of the restaurant.

"The concept is a bar/lounge, but what we are building is a gastropub," Langston said. "We envision it as a neighborhood living room  that will provide American pub classics with local ownership and well-integrated local popularity."

Jay Dickson, planning manager, said that while the concept includes a bar/lounge, the hours of operation would end at 11 p.m.

A previous Gulf Coast Media article mentioned that the proposal for Galway Public House includes creating an off-site parking lot for the restaurant, with 15 spaces.

As of now, the building is limited to 45 indoor seats and 14 outdoor seats. However, once parking is expanded, restaurant seating could potentially expand to 102 total seats.

Dickson explained the three off-site parking options being considered for the restaurant.

"The first option would be to share a parking lot with Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church on the east side of East 2nd Street, and the second option is to purchase public parking credits for 15 of the 130 on-street parking spaces being constructed by the city along East 2nd Street," Dickson read from official meeting documents. "The last option would be to construct 15 on-street parking spaces along the south side of 22nd Avenue."

Mayor Robert Craft said he would not endorse the first two options, as they would involve crossing a dangerous street or taking too long to complete.

"I'm not excited about the church parking spots or crossing the street," Craft said. "But the spots on the south side of 22nd makes perfect sense to me. You could fit 15 spaces there that would accommodate their needs and the public could use at any time."

This proposal was to be voted on at a city council meeting July 24, but Langston told Gulf Coast Media the proposal needs to be advertised for one month. It is expected to go to vote Aug. 28.