Industrial Park V gains land

Published 4:45 am Tuesday, February 15, 2022

The city-owned footprint of Cullman’s Industrial Park V is growing by 37.5 acres, after the Cullman City Council on Monday agreed to buy the property from Cardington Yutaka, Inc.

The large parcel already lies within the industrial park, and lies adjacent to the Yutaka manufacturing plant along AL 157. The council is purchasing the land for $700,000. The council did not discuss potential development or resale plans for the property as it approved the purchase.

A maker of torque converters, catalytic converters, and silencers, Yutaka is a vehicle parts supplier for Honda, and originally had purchased the property as a potential site for additional development at its Cullman manufacturing plant. Monday’s transaction returns the property to the city, from which the company first bought the land after first locating at the park in 2007.

In a separate property-related measure, the council also granted an alcohol license request from owner Kolby Lawrence of Cabin Fever Beverages for a new package store in east Cullman.

The new store, which had previously received a favorable recommendation from the city planning committee, will be located on a six-acre parcel fronting the south side of U.S. Highway 278, just east of the municipal water treatment plant. The campus of St. Bernard Preparatory School lies south and west of the property; council members noted in granting the request that the project meets the city’s alcohol ordinance requirement for locating the store at a minimum distance from nearby schools.

The new package store will mark the fifth Cabin Fever location in Cullman County. In addition to stores in Good Hope and Hanceville, Cabin Fever currently operates two package stores in the City of Cullman — one on U.S. Highway 31 South near 24th Street SE; the other on Highway 31 just north of the intersection with Alabama Highway 157.