Pelham cancels meeting to discuss land purchase

Published 4:48 pm Wednesday, April 6, 2011

By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Pelham City Council canceled an April 6 special-called meeting set to consider a land purchase, after the city “did not have everything put together,” said Pelham Mayor Don Murphy.

During the meeting, the council was set to vote on a city land purchase.

“We have to get to a point where we have something to vote on. We are not at that point,” Murphy said. “Right now, there’s no point in us having a meeting, because there’s nothing to meet about.”

The cancellation came two days after the City Council agreed to remove the Pelham Civic Complex as a possible venue to house the county’s proposed fire museum.

After the council pulled the Civic Complex from consideration for the museum, Pelham Mayor Don Murphy said the city was moving forward with its “backup” proposals for the project.

From Pelham, the county is considering two proposed sites the city submitted. One is the 30,000-square-foot former Marvin’s Building Supply building on Lee Street and the other proposal would require the city to purchase about 7.59 acres and build a 40,000-square-foot new facility near the intersection of U.S. 31 and Amphitheater Road.

The county is also considering a site off Alabama 25 in Calera about two blocks from Interstate 65 exit 228.

Murphy would not confirm if the land purchase listed on the special meeting agenda was related to the fire museum.

Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock previously said he would review the two cities’ proposals before making a decision by April 8 and presenting a recommendation to the Shelby County Commission on April 11.

Murphy said he was unsure if the Pelham Council will meet again before Dudchock makes his decision.

“We don’t have another meeting scheduled. If we do have one, we’ll let y’all know,” Murphy said.

Even if the council does not meet, Murphy said Dudchock will still consider Pelham’s alternate sites for the museum.

“Whether (Dudchock) is interested in those proposals or not is up to him,” Murphy said. “That would be up to Alex.”