BY HANNAH LESTER
HLESTER@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN —
The Auburn City Council granted conditional use approval for several new uses for the Spring Lake District during Tuesday night’s meeting.
The Spring Lake District is located at 2560 and 2600 E. Glenn Ave. The conditional use approval was granted to the Delta Development Group for commercial and entertainment uses and indoor recreational use for the Spring Lake Planned Development District.
Entertainment use includes brewpub, hardware stores, hotel/motel/condotel and a package store. The indoor recreational use includes indoor athletic facilities and the road service would have included ATMs, a car wash or a gas station.
The Spring Lake Development District was approved in 2016 for uses including a daycare center, auto accessory store, a bank, a barber shop, clothing stores, a commercial or trade school and much more. These new uses are just additions to several already allowed.
“We appreciate your votes the first time around and we have hopefully exceeded your expectations for the apartments; they have done extremely well — 95% [are] rented already with higher rents than was expected,” said one of the owners of Delta Development.
Ward 2 Council Member Kelley Griswold said that he approves the work already completed.
The owner described these new uses as “Phase Two.”
During the meeting, he asked to add a use such as a hotel. Due to gas lines on the property, he said the uses are limited. A hotel will be on the back portion of the property with parking on the front, because the parking can be built over the gas line. A food mart is also a goal of the developers, he said, because they believe it will go well with the apartments already onsite.
The planning commission recommended removing the road service uses, which the council agreed to.
The council discussed merits and downfalls of road service uses and the owner specified that those are not the goals, only options.
“Our prime thing we’d like to see there is a high-end restaurant go there overlooking the clubhouse and the lake,” he said.
OTHER BUSINESS
– The council approved the purchase of a 2023 Ford transit cargo van from National Auto Fleet Group for the Auburn Public Library for a little over $54,000.
– The council approved the purchase of a 2023 Ford F-150 XL 2WD Super Cab pickup truck for the Inspection Services Department from the National Auto Fleet Group for a little over $40,600.
– The council approved the purchase of two 2023 Ford F-150 Super Crew 4×4 pickup trucks from the National Auto Fleet Group for just over $98,700.
– The council approved the purchase of two fire station warning signs and two vehicle traffic preemption devices for Fire Station 6 from Temple Inc. for a little over $30,000.
– The council accepted public right-of-way and draining and utility easements for McWhorter Properties-Society Hill Estates LLC for a property on Society Hill Road, Lee Road 54, south of Moores Mill Road for the Glenwood Farm Phase 2 Project.
– The council approved a board appointment for the Board of Education.
– The council approved authorization for the Lee County revenue commissioner to collect city taxes, 5 mills for general purposes, 5 mills for capital projects debt repayment, 11 mills for educational purposes and 5 mills for education purposes.
– The council approved the annexation of just under 22 acres for Luke J. Greinke for 484 Lee Road 25.
– The council approved a resolution for a conditional use approval for the Mill Creek Data Center at 406 W. Veterans Blvd.
– The council approved an outdoor cafe permit for Stan’s Auburn LLC at 145 E. Magnolia Ave.
– The council approved a vacation for East Mag. Investments LLC for property at 801 Ogletree Road.
– The council approved two board appointments to the East Alabama Mental Health Board.