Proposed Tractor Supply Company store in north Gardendale opposed by nearby residents

Published 12:39 pm Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Several residents along Vann Place in north Gardendale are up in arms about a proposed new business near their homes.

Some of them spoke out against the plans during Monday night’s regular session of the Gardendale City Council, in an attempt to stop the new store before building begins.

The proposed Tractor Supply Company store would be located along U.S. 31 (Decatur Highway), roughly across from Gardendale Baptist Tabernacle and Tabernacle Christian School.

The store, which is part of a national chain, sells equipment and supplies geared toward farms and rural living. Tractor Supply has stores in Bessemer, Jasper and Cullman.

The new location has faced initial consideration by the planning and zoning commission. It would be adjacent to the rear of the homes along Vann Place, which runs parallel to U.S. 31 through that area.

Pat Smith and Jim Aaron, two homeowners on the street, engaged the council about the project for about a half hour near the end of Monday’s meeting. Their complaints ranged from whether the new store would affect rainwater runoff that would flow onto their properties, to whether the store meets the requirements for its current C-2 commercial zoning designation because of outdoor equipment sales lots.

Council President Stan Hogeland said that scouts representing the developer went with him and Mayor Othell Phillips to look over possible locations along Fieldstown Road, though at the time they weren’t told that Tractor Supply was the prospective tenant.

“They selected this location on their own,” Hogeland said.

Councilman Alan Jerkins, whose district includes the proposed site, said that he would be working with city engineers and building inspectors to make sure than any work does not adversely affect the homes behind it, should the project be approved.

The proposal has yet to work its way through the approval process to reach the council for action, but Hogeland said after the meeting that the members were watching the progress closely.

“I can assure you that we will be all over this,” he said.

The council also approved the renewal of the city’s line of credit with Regions Bank. The $3 million line is currently unused.

In other business, the council:

• Hired Nakeia Sims as an full-time administrative assistant

• Accepted a portion of Shady Crest Road near the new Fieldstown Crossing development into the city street system for maintenance

• Declared various coolers and other equipment in the vacant portion of the Public Safety Center as surplus

• Proclaimed Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, in which the fountain at the Gardendale Civic Center will have its water colored teal, and various lighted structures around the city will have those lights tinted teal as well

• Recognized members of the Gardendale Team Tennis youth teams who represented the city in the recent state championship tournaments

• Recognized winners of the Miss Magnolia, Miss Teen Magnolia, Miss North Jefferson and Miss Teen North Jefferson beauty pageants

[Edited at 11:24 a.m. Wednesday to fix an error about Sims’ employment status.]