ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – A new development on the city’s west side received a unanimous approval from the Orange Beach Planning Commission and is likely to receive full council approval as well.

Cottages of Romar is a 29-unit single-family development near the area of Phoenix West II near the city’s western boundary. The ordinance was read for the second time on Tuesday and will likely come up for a vote at the June 11 regular council meeting.

“This is the former Coral Reef site, this is between the Harbor Place Condos and the Beachside (planned unit development) on the south of the road also across the street from the Villages of Tannin,” City Planner Griffin Powell said at a recent council meeting. “Currently this area is zoned RS-1, single family residential. The request this afternoon is for preliminary and PUD zoning and master plan approval for single-family residential. It will have 22 single-family dwellings, seven rental cottages and common amenities.”

The site covers 9.8 acres and will have common amenities of a swimming pool, bathroom and dune walkover. Powell said the project conforms with the comprehensive plan and design standards required by the city.

“There’s going to be open space of 64 percent and the minimum is 20 percent,” Powell said. “The buildings’ foot print maximum coverage is 11 percent. There are 90 parking spaces that are required by code and 136 spaces are being provided so it definitely meets parking requirements.”

Powell said the development will also be under the minimum height requirements.

“The building height of the structures will be 40 feet,” he said. “Typically in the beach overlay district for single family duplexes the maximum is height is 50 feet. Structural appearances the houses and cottages onsite will have plank siding. All houses and cottages will front on Cottagewood Road.”

The part of the development fronting Perdido Beach Boulevard will have a walking/gathering area.

“It will have pedestrian-oriented areas that will have sidewalks and benches,” Powell said. “Typically when you have a lot that has more than one principal building the zoning code states that when the sidewalks that are facing each other they have to have a 20-foot separation, but the code allows for deviation if you are in a PUD development. This development has a separation of 15 feet.”

The only caveat raised by city staffers was getting Alabama Department of Transportation approval for the areas fronting Perdido Beach Boulevard which is also Alabama 180.