Opelika council approves PUD near Sportsplex Parkway
BY MICHELLE KEY
EDITOR@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — The Opelika City Council approved an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map to rezone 68.4 acres of land located on the north side of Sportsplex Parkway, from R-1 to a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The development plan for Hidden Lakes – North – Lowe Property PUD submitted by Barrett-Simpson Inc. on behalf of the owner, consists of 132 single-family home lots, open space areas, amenity areas and on-site detention. The Opelika Planning Commission gave a positive recommendation for this development.
The development is expected to offer a variety of home sizes to meet the needs of prospective home owners.
Recognitions
The council and Mayor Gary Fuller recognized Judy Eldred as a 2024 Green Runner-up Award Recipient during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
The council and mayor also recognized Cornelius Pink with an Attaboy Award. Pink was nominated for the award by Matt Battles the municipal area superviser from Opelika Parks and Recreation for his service and dedication in maintaining the parks in the city of Opelika. Battles said Pink consistently goes above and beyond his required duties but especially put in extra effort over the recent Labor Day weekend.
In other business
The council approved a request for a retail wine and beer on premise and retail wine and beer off premise alcohol license from Sante Opelika LLC doing business as Sante.
The council approved a request for the annual Life Chain Event on Oct. 6.
The council approved a downtown street closure request from First Baptist Church of Opelika for its Fall Festival on Oct. 27.
The council approved a bid for pest control services to Bug Busters.
The council approved a bid to JLD Enterprises LLC, in the total amount of $335,145 for the Grandberry Drive Extension.
The council approved a bid from Hall’s Tree Service for the removal of dead, dying or dangerous trees and stumps with tree pruning.
The council approved expense reports from various departments.
The council approved the purchase of a 2024 Ford F150 Responder SuperCrew 4×4 Pickup Truck using state of Alabama contract No. T191L from Stivers Ford Lincoln in the total amount of $48,137 for the Opelika Police Department.
The council approved the purchase of two 2024 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4×4 Pickup Trucks using the state of Alabama contract No. T191 from Stivers Ford Lincoln in the total amount of $95,243 for the Opelika Environmental Services department.
The council approved a resolution accepting the dedication of the extension of the right-of-way of Grandberry Drive.
The council approved a resolution amending the Organizational Chart of various departments
The council approved the annual excess loss insurance contract with Granular Insurance Company. Cobbs Allen & Hall Inc., the city’s insurance broker, will be compensated a monthly commission fee of $2,500.
The council approved the general liability insurance agreement with Marsh & McLennan Agency for an amount not to exceed $976,403.
The council approved a contract for employee vision care with MetLife VSP Vision Care.
The council approved a local consent agreement with the State Cybersecurity Grant Program.
The council approved an engagement letter with Himmelwright, Huguley & Boles LLC for annual auditing services for the accounting department.
The council approved an engagement letter with Samford & Denson LLP.
The council approved a resolution to waive all building and construction permit fees for Habitat of Humanity for the construction of a dwelling located at 205 Brannon Ave.
The council authorized a grant application with the Alabama State Industrial Development Authority SEEDS Grant Program. The total cost of the Project is estimated to be $1,527,250. With the one-to-one grant, the city is committed to funding the match of $763,625.
The council authorized refunds for cemetery monument sitting fees. The mayor and city staff have recommended the refund of all amounts collected from cemetery monument sitting fees during the period from April 4, 2023, to July 2, 2024 which total $12,300.
The council approved a request for a refund of occupational taxes paid in error by Cookout Opelika.
The council held a public hearing and then approved a weed abatement assessment for property located at 4 Avenue A.
The council approved a resolution to transfer current year city council discretionary fund balances to the upcoming fiscal year as follows:
Ward I – $ 918
Ward II – $ 2,898
Ward III – $ 4,176
Ward IV – $ 10,000
Ward V – $ 7,448
- The council approved an ordinance to amend Chapters 5 and 9 of the City Code of Ordinances: Adoption of Standard Technical Codes Relating to Residential, Commercial and Industrial Construction
The council approved an ordinance for the First Amendment to the ground lease with SBA Towers IV LLC.
Auburn council postpones vote on Boykin-Donahue Campus project
BY ANITA STIEFEL
EDITOR@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN — At its regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 17, the Auburn City Council postponed a vote to move forward with the planned $18.2 million Boykin-Donahue Campus pending further discussion of the $1.13 Cultural Center portion of the project. The council postponed the vote until its Oct. 1 meeting and will announce a work session.
The Boykin-Donahue project will consist of the following: demolition of the existing Public Works, Environmental Services and Fleet Services facilities; construction of a new library, parking lot, play field, multi-purpose trail, splash pad, new recycling center and widening of Donahue Drive to accommodate left and right turn lanes into these new facilities. The Cultural Center portion of the project will be built at a cost of $1.13 million.
In other business
The council approved annexation of Mitchell Farms property, consisting of approximately 127.32 acres located on Lee Road 146 (Moores Mill Road) approximately half a mile east of Society Hill Road, as unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission at its Aug. 8 meeting. The owner plans to convert the property into a conventional residential subdivision with 31 single-family residential lots and two open space lots.
By a vote of 5-3, the council passed ordinances to allow for the following four annexations:
- Hemard Annexation, approximately 4.45 acres located at 315 Lee Road 025 (Hillandale Drive);
- Jaramillo Annexation, approximately 14.84 acres located at 660 Lee Rd 25 (Hillandale Drive);
- Simonton Annexation, approximately 5.21 acres located at 812 Lee Road 415 (Winterhawk Drive); and
- Sheppard Annexation, approximately 3.7 acres located at 261 Lee Road 415 (Winterhawk Drive).
Voting in favor of these annexations were council members Connie Fitch Taylor (Ward 1), Kelley Griswold (Ward 2), Tyler Adams (Ward 4), Max Coblentz (Ward 7), Tommy Dawson (Ward 8) and Mayor Ron Anders.
Council member Beth Whitten (Ward 3) went on the record to say that because of the technicality of the property being below the city’s Optimal Boundary, she would vote no on the Hemard, Jaramillo, Simonton and Sheppard Annexations. Joining her in dissenting were council members Sonny Moreman (Ward 5) and Bob Parsons (Ward 6).
The council unanimously approved the Kimball Annexation, which includes approximately 6.03 acres located at 3743 Lee Road 146 (Moores Mill Road).
The council voted to accept a sanitary sewer easement at property located at 1065 Annalue Drive and to accept public right‐of‐way and easements at property located at the intersection of Cox and Wire roads.
Following recommendations of the Planning Commission, the council approved the following conditional uses: - Gamelink — commercial support use (manufacturing) at 2230 Pumphrey Ave, Unit E.
- KC Sol Tech. — industrial use (metal fabrication) at 2117 McMillan Street.
- Ogletree Village Shopping Center — community shopping center located south of Moores Mill Road and west of Ogletree Road.
- West Veterans Warehouse RV Storage — commercial support use (warehouse RV storage) at 419 W. Veterans Blvd.
Also as recommended by the Planning Commission, the council approved by a vote of 7-1 to an amendment to section 507.02 of the city’s zoning ordinance to expand ground floor commercial requirements for developments in the urban core on South College Street and South Gay Street. Council member Moreman voted no in response to a property owner who spoke out during the pre-vote public hearing to ask the council to delay the vote so it could more carefully consider the matter. City Manager Megan Crouch told the council the Planning Commission had considered the matter in depth and had been in contact with the majority of the property owners, who were in favor of the amendment. She said locating retail businesses on the ground floor of any future multi-unit housing developments would be necessary to meet the needs of additional residents.
The council approved an agreement with ADARE Development Group LLC to develop the land along Lee Road 146 (Moores Mill Rd). The developer proposes to construct a 31-lot single-family residential development located on Moores Mill Road west of its intersection with Society Hill Road. In cooperation with the city of Auburn and Lee County, the developer agrees to build no more than 10 houses per year (up to 20 in two years) prior to the construction of a new roundabout at the Moores Mill/Society Hill Intersection or the end of calendar year 2026.
The council passed a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Cleaning Solutions LLC, to provide janitorial services at eleven (11) City of Auburn facilities at a cost of $1,150.00. The one-year may be renewed for two additional one-year terms.
The council approved a contract with JLD Enterprises LLC for $36,782 for paving work at the APD Firing Range. It also approved an additional $45,500 to Skipper Consulting Inc. for additional services needed for the Renew Opelika Road – Phase 3 Access Management Study. The original agreement, in the amount of $67,000, was for the study area that includes the portion of Opelika Road from Temple Street to Gentry Drive and Dean Road from Opelika Road to Annalue Drive. The additional services expand to include the portion of Opelika Road from Ronald Lane to Commerce Drive and additional curb cut recommendations for the Gentry Drive to Saugahatchee Road segments.
The council approved reappointments of AU President Dr. Chris Roberts and former AU President Dr. Jay Gouge to the Industrial Development Board for terms beginning Oct. 10 and ending Oct. 3, 2030, and Sheriff Jay Jones to the Lee County Youth Development Center Board of Directors to serve a term beginning Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2028.
The council announced applications are being accepted to fill three vacancies on the city’s Tree Commission, with terms that begin Nov. 8 and end Nov. 7, 2027. Appointments will be made at the Oct. 15 meeting.
