Presently, there are no zoning guidelines in Orange Beach regarding a growing segment of certain types of businesses. For several months, Mayor Tony Kennon and the Orange Beach City Council has been considering what to do with them and where to put them.

At Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting, a public hearing was scheduled regarding the proposed amendment to a city ordinance, regulating these businesses, that include check cashing services, liquor stores, palm readers, pawn shops, payday loan businesses, tattoo parlors and body-piercing studios.

Citizens will be allowed to express their opinions at the Jan. 4 hearing.

In September, a moratorium on any new businesses licenses related to these types of businesses was put into place until the rezoning could be determined.

During the September meeting, Kennon said that is was not the desire of the city to ban these businesses, but to rezone them into areas that would be more appropriate for their type of activities.

“Like we are doing with the budget, we are looking ahead. We are planning to protect our image. I am only one person, one voice and one vote. This will be a council decision,” Kennon said.

After weeks of work by the planning commission, they unanimously voted to present the item for consideration. If passed, such businesses would be zoned to the city’s industrial district, which presently exists north of Canal Road and west of the Foley Beach Express.

“Please understand that this is not a moral judgment,” said Mayor Kennon. “As mayor, I see myself as the CEO of a $30 million dollar company that has a product to sell. We have an image, we have a brand, and that product is a family oriented, safe and secure, stable and prosperous community.”

In addition, the council plans to extend the moratorium on the issuance of business licenses for sexually oriented businesses for another six months.

On Jan. 4, there will also be a public hearing for a proposed amendment to ordinance No. 172 regarding window signage.

Both public hearings will take place in council chambers at the Orange Beach Municipal.