Gulf Shores officials are considering closing the boat launch at Canal Park, a move city leaders say would clear the way for expanded public parking, greenspace and a scenic overlook along the canal as part of the ongoing transformation of the Waterway Village district. The Gulf Shores City Council could vote on the future of the 20-year-old launch as soon as Monday.
The proposal was among several items city leaders discussed during a Monday, Aug. 17 work session at Gulf Shores City Hall, and it has continued to draw debate in the days since.
Why the City Wants to Close the Launch
City Administrator Jon Walker recommended ending vessel launches at Canal Park, which sits under the Highway 59 Intracoastal Waterway Bridge. Staff pointed to the opening of newer boat-launch facilities — including The Launch at ICW and The Launch at CR6 off County Road 6 — as reasons the aging Canal Park launch is no longer needed, noting it has pulled boat traffic away from the site.
Grant Brown, with the City of Gulf Shores, said the launch’s declining use is central to the debate. “That can be a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that it’s not overly used. The bad thing is that it’s not overly used, so is there a need for it? So that’s what the council’s really debating,” Brown said.
Officials also cited safety concerns with the current site, including strong tidal currents, heavy barge traffic and conflicts between trucks pulling trailers and pedestrians in an area that has increasingly become a pedestrian-focused district.
The city entered an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation in 1999 to maintain the right-of-way under the bridge, along with a separate agreement with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to maintain the ramp itself. That agreement has since expired, and the city has until the end of the year to negotiate and execute a new site use permit for the right-of-way. If the launch closes, officials said the property could be converted into additional public parking and recreational space.
City officials said demand for parking in the area is expected to grow as the new Waterway Village pedestrian bridge nears completion. Officials also noted other parking options already exist nearby, including a lot south of the boat launch property near The Sloop, in addition to the parking on the north side of the property that currently serves the launch.
Residents Pack Council Chambers to Oppose Closure
The proposal drew a standing-room-only crowd to the work session, where dozens of residents urged the council to keep the Canal Park launch open. Steve Burrow, who has launched his boat at Canal Park for 25 years, told the council it remains the only ramp on the island that provides access to open water.
“To me, it’s the only ramp on the island that can get you to the big water around us,” Burrow said. He was joined by residents including Bert Scott, Lee McMichael, Joyce Gwyn and Alvin Jones, who also spoke in favor of keeping the launch open. No decision was made at the work session, which served as an opportunity for the public to weigh in before any future vote.
Fred Van Forle, a retired city firefighter, said the launch has long been a convenient option for him and his family. “I’ve used that boat launch for years,” Van Forle said. “It’s very convenient for us and I’d hate to see us lose it.” Bruce Winfrey, who frequently uses the launch with his children in the summer, said losing it would create hardship for boaters and local businesses that depend on water access. “It’s inconvenient,” Winfrey said. “It provides a good service to the community whose business and livelihoods depend on it.”
Diane Nowling, who lives along the Intracoastal Waterway, said the ramp has been used extensively over the years by both locals and visitors. “We have a lot of boats in here at the campground that they don’t know where else to go because they’re not from here so they go over there and we always direct them to go over there, and then there’s people who fish off the pier over there, so there’s a lot of use for that boat dock,” Nowling said. She added that the launch is also central to several community boat parades throughout the year, including celebrations tied to Mardi Gras, Christmas and Easter.
Councilman Joe Garris was among the first council members to voice opposition to closing the launch, noting it serves as an important alternative when weather limits access to the newer facilities and is used year-round by charter boat operators. “I would like and hopefully for the council to understand that not only for the charter boat use but for individual use who have family members that visit during Christmas and Thanksgiving and to fish in the canal, to keep it open as is,” Garris said. Councilman Steve Jones informally polled the audience on how many people use the launch and said the response left little doubt that it remains heavily used.
The discussion also raised questions about a potential conflict of interest, after some residents noted on social media that Councilman Phillip Harris owns property near the launch within Waterway Village. Before public comments began, Harris disclosed his ownership interest and said he would recuse himself from any future discussion or vote on the matter. “I do have ownership interest in the property in Waterway Village and property on either side of this boat launch,” Harris said. “I won’t be making any comments on it. If this does come to a point where there is a vote, I will not participate in a vote so you don’t misinterpret my silence today that I don’t care or am listening.”
Several residents said they support the broader push to redevelop Waterway Village into an entertainment district but argued that water access should remain part of its identity. “I appreciate what is happening with the Waterway District and how it’s improving the area,” Alvin Jones said. “It’s interesting, to me, it’s called the Waterway Village. I think you need to wade into the water.”
Council to Revisit the Issue Monday
City leaders say support for keeping the boat ramp operational has grown since the Aug. 17 work session, where the closure proposal was first presented. At Monday’s council meeting, the Gulf Shores City Council could take action on the proposal or postpone a vote until a later date. Residents who want to weigh in can attend the meeting or email the mayor’s office.
Kids Park Replacement Moves Forward
Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director Grant Brown presented updated designs for replacing Kids Park at Johnny Sims Park. In response to public demand for synthetic turf over wood mulch, staff outlined a range of budget options, from about $950,000 for wood fiber surfacing to roughly $1.225 million for an all-turf surface. Because materials carry lead times of about 16 weeks, construction won’t begin until January 2027, meaning children will be able to use the existing playground through the holiday season.
Infrastructure and Transportation Plans
City engineers recommended adopting the annual Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation Plan by Aug. 31 in order to remain eligible for roughly $100,000 in Rebuild Alabama Gas Tax funding. Planned 2027 projects include Waterway Village streetscape improvements, a pedestrian bridge, East 2nd Street improvements, County Road 6 improvements and the city’s annual street resurfacing program.
Public Works Director Noel Hand also proposed purchasing nine signs, at a cost of about $2,000, to reduce speed limits from 45 mph to 25 mph during school hours on Coastal Gateway Boulevard and Wavemaker Way near the city’s new high school.
Separately, staff presented a request to accept public streets within Phases 1 and 2 of The Village at Craft Farms for city maintenance, which would release performance bonds held by developers D.R. Horton and 68 Ventures.
Personnel and Staffing Changes
Human Resources and Fire Rescue leaders recommended amending the city’s employee pay plan to address salary compression between firefighters and lieutenants. The proposal would adjust pay for the Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic, Fire EMS Officer, Fire Logistics Officer and Fire Training & Safety Chief positions, adding an estimated $112,000 in annual costs.
HR Director Tonya Wilson also submitted a plan to reclassify three municipal roles, including moving Blake Phelps into a new Director of Strategic Initiatives position, upgrading a part-time accountant to a full-time Grants and Administrative Support Specialist overseeing BUILD and RESTORE grant funding, and creating a new Deputy Director of Engineering and Construction position.
The city also proposed search agreements to help fill two other roles: Find Great People, for $25,000, would help find a Communications and Engagement Director, while Next Move Group, for $19,750, would search for an Economic Development Manager.
Planning and Governance Items
Planning Director Scott Stephens presented a request from Oak Place Community LLC to prezone and annex 5.49 acres at 18789 Oak Road West. Both city staff and the Planning Commission recommended R-1-3 medium-density residential zoning for the property.
The council also reviewed a recommendation to appoint Martin Pitts to the Building Board of Adjustments & Appeals for a four-year term running through June 8, 2030.
The resort at the center of it: 24 Canal
The debate over the Canal Park launch does not exist in isolation. It sits in the middle of a proposed resort development called 24 Canal, planned along the south bank of the Intracoastal Waterway on East 24th Avenue in the Waterway Village District.
The project would be built on six parcels on both sides of the State Route 59 bridge — parcels the boat launch currently divides. Plans call for condominiums, retail space, a hotel, restaurants and boat slips for visitors who want to tie up to shop, eat or take in the view.
Under the concept the city has been weighing, the launch would be removed and the space reconfigured for additional parking under the bridge and a covered pavilion at the water’s edge.
“Additional vehicular parking in Canal Park would be one of many incremental steps towards satisfying existing and future parking demands within the overall Waterway Village,” Community Development Director and Assistant City Administrator Lee Jones said.
A project that has been dormant since 2023
The resort was first approved by the city in August 2023 following a council presentation by architect Mack McKinney, then languished. The zoning framework Gulf Shores adopted for the Waterway Village District specifically envisions “commercial structures and activities in close proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway that will provide a focus toward the waterway as an amenity of patrons to use and enjoy.”
The property has since changed hands. 24 Canal LLC acquired all six parcels from four different sellers and first paid taxes on them in 2025, according to Baldwin County tax records. That ownership group includes an interest held by Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Philip Harris, which is why he disclosed a conflict and committed to recusing himself.
“I do have an ownership interest in some property in Waterway Village,” Harris said at the Aug. 17 meeting. “More specifically, property on either side of this boat launch. So, I won’t engage in discussion. I won’t be making any comments on it. And if this does come to a point where there is a vote, I will certainly not participate in any vote.”
Charter operators and anglers make the access case
Councilman Joe Garris, a lifelong charter fisherman, was the first council member to come out against removing the launch. He argued that the two alternative ramps — one near the former toll bridge and another on County Road 6 West — would not meet the needs of local fishermen and boaters. With inshore charters running year-round, Garris said, the Canal Park site offers shelter from the winds that make the open bays difficult in fall and winter.
Fisherman Joe Emerson, a Fort Morgan resident and frequent voice on local issues, said the drive and traffic involved in reaching the other launches is its own deterrent.
“I have to think it’s a shame to ask Gulf Shores residents to trailer their boats to the county’s launch in Orange Beach or to go up congested Highway 59 to utilize the county’s ramp up on the river,” Emerson said. “Having slips in front of whatever developments get built will be nice for those businesses and their patrons.”
The lease history
Canal Park has been leased by the city from the Alabama Department of Transportation since 1999. The site sits in the state right-of-way beneath the Highway 59 bridge, which is part of why its future is tied to a permit negotiation the city must complete before the end of the year.
Next step: the Aug. 24 work session
A packed house at the Aug. 17 work session was firmly against removing the launch. Councilors could take up the matter again at the next work session on Monday, Aug. 24 at 4 p.m. at city hall.