By Terry Schrimscher, For the Tribune
CLAY – The Clay City Council met for the second regular meeting of the month on Tuesday night, April 25. The meeting moved swiftly with only a few items for consideration on the agenda.
The Council held a public hearing to change the zoning of a property at 2401 Springville Road near City Hall. The Clay Planning and Zoning Commission met on April 20 and made the recommendation to approve a request to zone the property commercial.
Property owner Eddie Dawson was on hand to speak at the hearing. He owns Dawson Automotive, which is currently located at 817 Florentine Drive in Birmingham, but plans to locate his business in Clay.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be back in the city with a new business,” Dawson said. “We greatly appreciate everyone who supports us.” The property is currently being renovated for the new use and Dawson said he expects to have cars for sale on the lot in approximately 30 days.
There was no one present to speak in opposition to the proposal. The Council voted unanimously to affirm the recommendation to rezone the property to commercial.
City Manager Ronnie Dixon told the Council he expects another zoning request this summer for the new Chick-fil-A location near City Hall. Chick-fil-A announced plans last year to build a drive-through-only location on the corner of Old Springville Road and Chalkville Mountain Road.
The Council approved a resolution abating property located at 6511 Self Lane. The property has appeared on the agenda several times over the last few months.
In the November 22 meeting, the Council approved a resolution condemning the burned home and accepted a bit of $16,600 to perform demolition on the property. The home had previously appeared on the agenda in October but a vote was delayed while the property owners waited for insurance to settle. The city will place a lien on the property for the cost of the work.
In his report, Dixon announced the Clay-Pinson Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at Grayson Valley Country Club. The meeting will feature guest speaker Tony Cooper from Jimmie Hale Mission. The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. on May 2 and the price is $10 per ticket. Interested parties can reserve tickets at the Clay-Pinson Chamber of Commerce website.
The National Day of Prayer is traditionally held on the first Thursday of May each year. Dixon announced the Council will be participating in a Bible reading marathon held at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross located at 90 Parkway Drive in Trussville. The event begins Thursday morning, May 4, and will continue for approximately 82 hours until the entire Bible has been read.
The next meeting of the Clay City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 9, at City Hall.