By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The Montevallo City Council approved the development of a group care home in the Aldrich community of the city during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, March 10.

Marietta Fields Chappell, a property owner and head of Jean Home Helping Care, LLC, asked for the council’s approval of a conditional use to allow for the home’s development. The property is located in a single family dwelling district, meaning that any developments to the property would have to be approved by the council.

The proposal was approved unanimously, along with other infrastructure developments around the city.

The meeting began at 5:30 p.m. at Montevallo City Hall with a discussion of the upcoming meeting’s agenda. Outside of the care home proposal, the council fielded a request for the approval of an ABC license for XCARET Grill Mexican Restaurant, a new culinary addition to Montevallo’s Main Street district.

The council also discussed selecting voting delegates for the Alabama League of Municipalities’ annual business meeting. Furthermore, Arthur L. Essix Jr. was appointed to the city’s Water and Sewer Board, with his term set to expire in March 2028.

The work session then shifted to committee reports. Reports included a recap of the Parnell Memorial Library’s Backyard BookFest and various athletic achievements in the city, including the University of Montevallo basketball program making it to the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time since 2016.

After the conclusion of the work session, the city council meeting began at 6 p.m. Chappell, who attended the meeting, explained her reasoning for opening the care center.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Chappell said. “I’ve always dealt with elderly people, so I always knew that this is something I wanted to do in the future.”

The council selected Councilperson Lelia Mitchell as the voting delegate for the annual business meeting, with Councilperson Kenneth Dukes and Councilperson Martha Eisenberg as the two alternates for the meeting.

For more information on the Montevallo City Council, visit Cityofmontevallo.com/MayorAndCouncil.aspx.