Elizabeth McDowell, representing 67 residents who have signed a petition opposing the city’s use of the Burrow property for an RV park, appeared before the Cullman City Council Monday night to give voice to their opposition.

“The plans and ideas were hidden from the public intentionally, too, with a complete disregard for the community’s wants and needs,” she said. “You have insulted our intelligence repeating that this was not done in conjunction with or for Rock the South. The RV park has one use and one alone, and that is so the wealthy can have their own private parking lot during this event.”

The city purchased the former Burrow property in 2011 for $1.5 million, which includes a total of 170 acres split across the north and south sides of County Road 222. The 67 acres on the north side were set aside for new industrial expansion, while the south side was designated for recreation. The RV park will span five acres, said Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Director of Operations Kyle Clark. It will accommodate 50 RVs and also include tent camping on the site.

McDowell said the city didn’t disclose its plans for the land until after construction had started, “making any dissent a moot point, and that was the plan the whole time. I’m here to dissent, if only to have our voices heard, stating that we were here, and that we would dissent and we would make comments on it, but you continued anyway.”

She said the city was unconcerned with the impact on local residents, who also shop in the city. “Until the city starts learning that they’re representatives of the community and that our tax money is not Rock the South money, we’re going to take a stand,” she said. “A majority of the people who shop in the city travel from outside it to do so. We’ll be pursuing boycotts and protests until this is rectified.”

The council did not respond to McDowell’s comments, but after the meeting Clark said the city had begun investigating the possibility of an RV park on the property two years prior. “We were planning this before Rock the South moved to its new location,” he said.

He said the city conducted market research, including attending an annual convention for the RV industry. “The RV industry is really growing,” he said. “And it’s a family adventure.”

Clark said the city’s plans for the Burrow property aren’t limited to the RV park. They are also considering walking trails; a possible aquatic park; fishing, kayaking and paddle boating on the ponds; and have discussed with the county extension office the possibility of creating an arboretum on the site.

The city hopes to have the RV park open by early summer and is close to announcing the name of the park. The name will have to be approved by the Burrow family, Clark said, and added that the family is supportive of the RV park. “We’re excited about the name and the opportunities for this property,” he said.

Also at Monday night’s council meeting, the council approved a resolution to apply for grants from the TVA Invest Prep program for site development at Cullman Regional Airport with a local match of up to $500,000. Prior to the meeting, Airport Director Ben Harrison explained that site development is part of the airport’s five-year plan.

“We’re at the point where we don’t really have any more property taxiway-side, so we’re having to develop property now that would come off the taxiway,” he said. Harrison said it was a good five to 10-year project.

Mayor Woody Jacobs said getting the site ready will get the airport prepared for potential development. “Then, when along comes a project, they’ve got somewhere to put it,” he said.

Another airport project in the works is a new building for the mechanic at the airport. The mechanic wants to expand to a 10,000-square-foot building and hire additional mechanics, said Cullman Economic Director Dale Greer. While one option is to provide a ground lease and let him build a new building, but Harrison and Greer said the better option is to build a new building and lease it to the mechanic in order to maintain more control over the property.

“I think eventually we’ll be able to do ground leases, but we’re in the infant portion of the ground lease right now,” said Harrison. “We have very specific guidelines we’re going to want to have in place before we do a ground lease, and then they’ll have to follow those guidelines.”