City of Hanceville

HANCEVILLE — Hanceville officials will hold a public hearing next month to weigh the implications of rezoning a residential property on the city’s east side to accommodate a proposed housing duplex development for veterans.

Currently zoned for R-1 residential use, the property along Hopewell Road, held by Tenax Enterprises, will be rezoned to R-3 for multiple-occupancy dwelling if the city council approves a related ordinance following the hearing. A duplex on the property already is undergoing renovation from local nonprofit Saving Forgotten Warriors, which helps military members readjust to civilian life after their active duty has ended.

“They had already been working on renovating the duplex, and from our point of view, we’re very honored and supportive of what they’re doing,” said Hanceville mayor Kenneth Nail, out of town on a family visit to South Dakota, on Thursday. “I told them that we want them to be able to work to get their facility open as fast as they can, but that we’ve just got to work out a couple of the legal details from the city’s point of view so that those hold-ups won’t be there later down the road.”

Scheduled for Feb. 13, the hearing will take place at 6 p.m. in the council meeting room at Hanceville City Hall. The city planning commission already has given the housing proposal a favorable review, and Nail said he expects few, if any, opponents to the nonprofit’s operation in the city.

Council member Jimmie Nuss even commended Saving Forgotten Warriors financial officer Pam Whitt, who was present at Thursday’s regular council meeting, on the council’s behalf during the proceedings. “I’d like to say ‘thank you’ for what you do for our veterans,” Nuss told Whitt from behind the dais.

“We’re actually pretty excited bout it,” confirmed Nail by phone. “We think it’ll be a great thing for our city, and for the veterans who will benefit from this new service.”

In other business at its regular meeting, the council:

• Approved the city’s participation in the upcoming Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, which many municipalities throughout Alabama will take part in next month. This year’s holiday, which waives local sales taxes on qualifying items, will extend from Friday, Feb. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 23.

• Waived the vendor application fee for this year’s Irish Festival, to be held in Hanceville on March 14 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

• Heard a 2019 summary report from assistant fire chief Bart Absher, as well as the Dec. 2019 summary report from police chief Bob Long.

The next regular council meeting will be held Thursday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. in the council meeting room at Hanceville City Hall. A 5:30 p.m. public work session will immediately precede the council meeting.