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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Clanton City Council has approved moving forward with leasing the former Fred’s building to Dollar General.

The vote was 4 to 1 in favor of approving a lease during the Council meeting on Jan. 13. Council members Jeffery Price, Sammy Wilson, Bobby Cook and Mary Mell Smith voted in favor. Awlahjaday Agee voted against.

Although he said he was not necessarily against business coming to the location, Agee voiced concern that Clanton already has more Dollar General stores than towns with similar populations. The addition of this store would put four DG stores within the city limits.

“The closest I can find for cities our size is they have two,” Agee said.

He suggested that the Council may want to consider a “moratorium saying we are not going to allow any more dollar stores to come within the city limits.”

“Four for a city our size is kind of much,” Agee said.

Price said the Dollar General would be replacing a similar type of store.

What the rent would be for the business to lease the City of Clanton-owned building will be worked out in the contract and was not set as a part of the motion. However, Council members had received a list of options and what the business would be willing to pay.

Based on this proposal, Mayor Billy Joe Driver said it would be a “pretty good payment.”

The business is also asking that the city make some improvements to the building.

Two rezoning requests were approved during the meeting.

Clanton First United Methodist Church received approval to change a portion of land near the intersection of Ninth Street and Third Avenue from residential (R2) to business (B1). The church plans to turn the land into a parking lot.

Dr. Jon Binkerd received approval of a rezoning for property near Lakeview Drive from residential to agricultural. Binkerd plans to live on the property and start a small farm with a variety of animals and crops.

Both rezoning changes will become official after the required notice publication.

Signing a contract for a traffic light to be added to the existing signal at the intersection of Highway 31 and the soon-to-open Popeyes drive way was also approved. The cost to the city would be for electricity and maintenance.

Also during the meeting, the Council approved:

• Appropriations to the library and the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce.
• Paying for roof work on the Restore Outpatient Therapy Services for $28,350.