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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

Land-related requests are going to be a focus of the April 11 Clanton City Council meeting.

The council will have the first reading of a rezoning request for property on Lay Dam Road (right before the bridge) from R-2 residential single-two family to B-1 business central district and the first reading of an annexation request for 652 County Road 41.

Changing the name of Earl Avenue, near Highway 145, will also be considered. Mayor Jeff Mims said the county is going to put in a street that will go back to Hatley’s Health Care to create access to the future site of The Wellness Group counseling center.

“Earl Avenue is just on paper,” Council member Wade Watley said. “It is not there yet.”

The name appears on the GIS maps between two residential properties. Watley said the owner of The Wellness Group has asked for the council to consider renaming the street when it is complete to match the other names in the area, such as Medical Center Drive.

“It might be easier to get folks to … find a business versus thinking they are turning into a residential neighborhood,” Watley said of the request.

Wellness Group Drive was proposed as a name, but council members said they would prefer Wellness Center Drive since there are still some pieces of property on the road that the business would not own.

Watley said he would get with the business owner for feedback.

The council will also consider taking bids to contract for the demolition of 25 condemned houses on the city. The work would be paid for using a grant.

Renewal of contracts with the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging and the company that does collections for the city will also be considered.

Transferring a beer and wine license to the new owners of a business on Enterprise Road is another item on the agenda.

The Clanton City Council is expected to make a decision soon on whether to have the annual fireworks show on July 4 as usual or move it to June 25 after Peach Jam since the cost is $26,000.

Mims said having the fireworks show then would ensure good attendance and be a way to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Peach Festival.

“This town would be packed out, as far as our businesses being able to do something to make some money, it would be killer for all of them,” Mims said.

The plan would be to shoot them off from the girls softball field in Clanton City Park to keep them far enough away from everything.

“The food trucks are going to be over there where the fireworks are normally shot,” Mims said.

The April 11 meeting of the council will be at Clanton City Hall at 5 p.m.