Downtown Foley gaining 7 additional parking spaces

By Jessica Vaughn / jessica@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 6/27/17

FOLEY - The old location of the BP gas station on the corner of Highway 98 and Pine Street is currently without a tenant, so the City of Foley has an interesting suggestion of what to do with the …

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Downtown Foley gaining 7 additional parking spaces

The old BP location on the corner of Hwy 98 and Pine St. will be upgraded to offer 7 extra parking spaces to Downtown Foley visitors.
The old BP location on the corner of Hwy 98 and Pine St. will be upgraded to offer 7 extra parking spaces to Downtown Foley visitors.
Photo by Jessica Vaughn
Posted

FOLEY - The old location of the BP gas station on the corner of Highway 98 and Pine Street is currently without a tenant, so the City of Foley has an interesting suggestion of what to do with the spot in the meantime.

“We have an opportunity here to pick up some parallel parking in Downtown Foley,” said City Engineer Chad Christian during the June 19 council. “At the site of the gas station that was recently demolished, we will be able to pick up about 7 additional spaces and leave a buffer area there for safety between the corner island on the southeast. Then we would just have to come back and, in front of that existing island, paint the stripes.”

The project would be done inhouse by Public Works, and could be done with nominal costs, if any. The area would not even need to be resurfaced or coated, as Public Works would merely be striping the curb stop, said Christian.

Currently, BB&T Bank on Highway 98 is the only building between Highway 59 and Pine Street that has effectively a curb cut onto Highway 98, through its drive up. Once the parking spaces are added to the old BP location, it will create additional access off Highway 98.

There are no plans for the property presently, though the council believes the new parking spaces shouldn’t have any effect on building decisions.

“If somebody wanted to build on the property, that could be a question to address then, but I don’t think we’re cutting them off from any kind of access at that property,” said Charlie Ebert of the city council. “They’d still have access from Pine Street, it just depends on what the occupant would be, and since that occupant is no longer a service station, I don’t see a problem.”

If another service station did make an offer on the property, the parking spaces would in no way hinder the occupant from building on the lot, and until that time comes, seven new spaces will be available to anyone wishing to find a parking spot with easy access to enjoy a walk around Downtown Foley.

“I think for right now the way Engineering proposed is the best route to go,” Ebert said. “Later we may want to change up the plans a little bit, but for right now this is a good compromise.”

No date has been set as to when the parking lot will be completed, but Christian believes it should be an easy project that will grant added parking to the city.