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By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer 

MONTEVALLO – The Montevallo City Council voted to accept a land disturbance permit and bond for the seventh phase of a subdivision at a regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 10.

The council approved a request to accept a land disturbance permit and land disturbance bond in the amount of $100,500 for Colonial Oaks Subdivision Phase 7 from Bryan Adams with Esplanade Communities of Florida LLC.

City Engineer Matthew Burgess said the preliminary plat has already gone through the Planning and Zoning Commission.

“This is just y’all approving that bond, and then at that point, they can initiate construction,” Burgess said. “They’ve been through the Army Corps of Engineers, so it’s a fully permitted construction site at this point. This is mainly for erosion control and stabilization of the site. It’s right at 33 acres.”

The council also held the first reading of a proposed amendment to a part of the city’s zoning ordinance that requires landscape plans for site development plan submittals to be prepared by a state of Alabama registered landscape architect.

The proposed amendment would allow other licensed professionals, including landscape planners, certified civil engineers and horticultural professionals licensed by the state in landscape design, to prepare such plans.

“This basically is allowing other professionals who have been trained in landscape architecture to prepare plans,” City Clerk and Treasurer Steve Gilbert said. “This doesn’t eliminate any of the steps before it comes to Planning and Zoning. It allows other licensed professionals to prepare this plan, not just a registered landscape architect, but we still have review by our Arbor and Beautification Board, even by adding this language.”

A public hearing on the proposed amendment will be held at the City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 24.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a resolution to declare Feb. 25-27 the Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday in the city of Montevallo.

• Approved to appoint Susan Godwin to the Montevallo Historic Preservation Commission.