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Erica Techo
The road connecting Highway 337 to the Chelsea Community Center was named after Bob Wanninger, the first city clerk for Chelsea.
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Erica Techo
The road connecting Highway 337 to the Chelsea Community Center was named after Bob Wanninger, the first city clerk for Chelsea.
The road running from Highway 337 to the Chelsea Community Center is now known as Wanninger Way. The road gets its new name from Bob Wanninger, the first city clerk for Chelsea, and was named in his honor during the Sept. 20 Chelsea City Council meeting.
“[Bob] has been a friend of Chelsea for, I don’t know, 20-plus years. He was one of the founding fathers of the city,“ said Mayor Earl Niven, “the first city clerk of Chelsea, the non-paid architect of our two first fire stations and the architect for the Chelsea Community Center. And I’m not naming everything because they want to get out before midnight."
Niven thanked Wanninger for his work and dedication to the city of Chelsea and said naming the road in his honor was a way to show thanks. Anyone in support of the resolution to name the road Wanninger Way was asked to stand, and all members of the council and audience at the meeting stood in support.
“You are a jewel in Chelsea, well-respected and loved by us all,” Niven said.
The sign will be put up the morning of Sept. 21, Niven said.
During its meeting, the council also voted to reject a rezoning request for the Cat & Bird Winery proposal, which formerly came in front of the council during its Sept. 7 meeting.
At that meeting, the council voted to hold off on receiving the rezoning request, noting it would meet with City Engineer Keith Hager before setting a public hearing for the request. The decision to reject the rezoning request, however, was not a step toward denying the winery proposal, council member Juanita Champion noted. Rather, the rezoning request was found to be unnecessary.
When planning and zoning laws for the City of Chelsea were modified a few years ago, some plots of land less than 10 acres in size were zoned as R-R, or rural residential. The 4.8-acre plot of land located at the intersection of Highway 43 and Highway 11, where Matt and Robyn Lyons hope to open the winery, was determined to be zoned R-R.
Rather than needing to rezone the land, the couple can apply for a major home occupation permit and open a winery on the land. This permit must be renewed yearly and does not cost anything, Champion said.
“We should explain that rejecting it is a positive move,” said council member Dale Neuendorf.
Because the council rejected accepting the request, it will go before the planning commission at its next meeting.
Also at the meeting:
- The council approved an annexation ordinance submitted by Darryl and Rebecca Eastman. The request was for a .69-acre property located on Highway 440.
- The council approved a resolution to accept the lowest and best bid for roadway improvements to Ferguson Drive. The bid from Kelley Contracting and Paving Inc. is in the amount of $23,400.
- The council approved paying the city’s bills.
- The council approved a resolution to accept a bid from Skelton Heating and Air for a new HVAC unit. The bid was in the amount of $14,500.
- Niven mentioned the city had been cited by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for a violation of dirt and water. ADEM quoted a figure of cost to the city, Niven said, and the city will be able to make a counter offer. Niven said he plans to consult with the city engineer on the matter to negotiate the counter offer. After discussing the counter offer, it will be brought before the council for approval.
There will be a specially called Chelsea City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m., following the Chelsea Planning Commission meeting. During this meeting, the council will discuss the fiscal year 2017 budget, the ADEM citation and the sign for the Chelsea Sports Complex.
