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Council approves property on Hwy. 11 for commercial development

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The opening of the Nov. 5 Chelsea City Council meeting featured Chelsea High School theater students giving the council and audience a sneak peek of their upcoming performance of The Addams Family. The group acted out scenes in the council chamber for about 20 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. 

During the Mayor’s Report, Mayor Tony Picklesimer signed a proclamation declaring January 2020 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city of Chelsea.

Jamie Wilett, a member of Junior League of Birmingham’s Anti-Human Trafficking committee, was in attendance at the meeting and said she was proud and excited that the mayor signed the proclamation. 

Wilett also shared some statistics including an estimated that 5,000 victims travel through the state of Alabama each month and the average age of entry into trafficking is only 12 years old.

“Social media is one way traffickers are grooming victims,” she said. “Only one percent of victims are abducted, the majority are tricked by traffickers offering them a promise of a better life.”

To raise awareness in addition to city proclamations, there will be a social media campaign, hotel and motel training and truck stop and restaurant awareness to let people know how to receive help. 

Two public hearings took place for rezoning requests. The first was from The Sproul Co. of Alabama for 20 acres of property off Old Oak Cove to be rezoned from AR to R2 for residential development. There was no public comment on this and the request was approved by the council. 

The second public hearing was a request from The Broadway Group for 1.61 acres of property located at 8648 Hwy. 11 to be rezoned from E1 to B1 for commercial development for a Dollar General store. 

Tara Mathias, development manager for The Broadway Group, addressed the council and stated that the Chelsea Planning Commission gave a favorable recommendation and were seeking approval of their request. Mathias also presented a short slideshow giving an idea of what the area may look like. 

The project would consist of a single tenant, 9,100 sq. feet retail store 9100, which was later affirmed to be a Dollar General. 

“The store would meet the local neighborhood everyday shopping needs,” Mathias said. “It is  anticipated the store would create eight to 10 new jobs for the area and have the potential to be a significant tax resource for the city.” 

Part of the plan did include an anticipation for road improvements as part of the project to provide a safe entrance and exit for customers and anyone else on the road in that area. 

Chelsea resident, Fran Nash, owns part of the property where The Broadway Group is trying to rezone. She addressed the council about conversations she has had with Jonathan Broadway, who she had told she was not ready to sell her property at this time. 

“I don't want to be forced into (selling) it before I’m ready,” Nash said. “The property deserves to be sold at one time and to one person. I understand if my neighbor can’t wait, but I’m willing to.”

Mayor Picklesimer said that there are guidelines in place for how traffic would operate, and the store owners would have to comply with the Shelby County Highway Dept. and complete the work required to make the entrance and exits safe. 

“The Broadway Group can’t take Mrs. Nash’s property by eminent domain. They do not have the power to take it from her,” Mayor Picklesimer said.  

The council did approve the ordinance for The Broadway Group for the rezoning from E1 to B1 for commercial development. 

Other resolutions approved during the meeting include: 

The mayor also noted that the intersection of Hwy. 36 and Hwy. 11 in front of the Chevron station has been approved for signalization. 

The next Chelsea City Council meeting will be Nov. 19 with pre-council at 5 p.m. and regular council at 6 p.m. 

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