News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Algood City Council has approved a rezoning ordinance that allows a new storage facility on Highway 111.
Rost Brothers Storage representative Michael Savage said the proposed operation would fill a need in Algood.
“We’ve got a lot of apartment and we’ve got a lot of town homes. Most of those people need a place to store their property,” Savage said. “This is going to allow people who own boats and RV’s to be able to do that. The plan is to spend probably about $1 million on this, so it’s definitely going to increase the tax revenue.”
The ordinance rezones just over 5.5 acres of property on East Main Street from low-density residential and general commercial to light industrial. First reading approval came despite the Algood Planning Commission’s recommendation to deny the request.
Savage alleged that the planning commission denied the request because of a possible conflict of interest.
“My understanding is that one of the planning commission members actually has storage units in the city of Algood. My understanding is that the person spoke and voted, so we take extreme issue with that. We think it’s a clear conflict of interest,” Savage said. “I have have listened to that meeting. I couldn’t hear it all, but basically the only thing that was said was ‘We don’t think this is good for Algood.’ Well, what’s the basis for that? Why is it not good for Algood?”
Neighbors of the property did not object to the rezoning during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said she did have concerns about owners not using the property as proposed.
“If the council were to agree, at least to rezone this on first reading, I don’t know what kind of assurances we would have that what you have portrayed here would actually go in that space,” Chapman-Fowler said. “As you know, that permits a lot of other uses, and you could say, ‘I’ve decided no to do storage, I’m going to do this or that.'”
Property owners have agreed to enter into a binding agreement with the city to ensure the property would be used as proposed. A public hearing and second reading of the ordinance will take place December 10.
