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By ZACHARY SEIFTER/ Staff Writer

 

The Chilton County Commission voted to approve three different resolutions, giving them either outright ownership or an option on three properties during a meeting on July 13.

All three resolutions were approved by 6-1 votes, with Commission Chairman Joseph Parnell and Commissioners Jimmie Hardee, Darrell Bone, Matthew Mims, Joe Headley and Randell Kelley voting in favor. Commission Allen Williams voted against all three resolutions. The votes came after the commission held an executive session to discuss the contracts for the properties.

Two of the properties were bought outright by the commission. Both are off Interstate 65, Exit 212. The first property bought was sold to the commission by Wade and Terri Connell. The purchasing price was $2,150,000 for 43 acres of land, the price per acre being $50,000.

The second property was sold to the commission by Sue Hope. The purchasing price for that land was $1,050,000 for 9.2 acres, coming out to $114,400 per acre.

Each of the two pieces of land will serve as retail properties outside of the Alabama Farm Center.

“We have some businesses that want to locate there,” Parnell said.

The third piece of property that was voted on by the commission during the meeting is 63 acres of land off Interstate 65, Exit 200. The property is being sold by Sunbelt Alabama LLC Series 668 for a price of $850,000. The commission purchased a six-month option on the land for $100,000.

Should the commission decide to exercise their option on the land, they will pay the remaining $750,000 for the property. Should they decide to step away, they will lose the $100,000.

That property will be used for an industrial development project.

“We have a potential company that wants to locate there,” Parnell said. “They will require an on-site sewage system because they will employ so many people. So, we have to own that property or own an option to that property to apply for a grant to build the sewage system.”

Each purchase will be contingent on positive results from surveys of the land, Phase One environmental work being done, and title work coming back to the commission with title insurance, according to Parnell.