Graphic by Makayla Montgomery. By Cady Inabinett, Managing editor of content
Montevallo’s City Council voted to begin drafting a development plan with Cobblestone Hotels at their Feb. 13 meeting.
The motion, which passed with only council member Martha Eisenberg opposing, marks the next step in the ongoing process to bring a hotel to Montevallo.
This isn’t a guarantee that a Cobblestone Hotel will be coming to Montevallo, though. The motion passed by the council allows the city’s legal counsel to begin negotiating with the developer’s legal counsel to draft a development plan. Once a development plan has been made by both parties, it will need to be approved by the city council.
The council also voted to accept a bid from CMIT Solutions to install security cameras at two of the city’s storm shelter locations. The approved bid totaled in at $9,905 and covers the cost of security cameras, digital video recorders and associated equipment to be installed at Storm Shelters #1 and #2.
Additionally, the council heard concerns about 18-wheeler traffic on Spring Creek Road during their meeting.
Montevallo resident Trisha Honeycutt addressed the council with these concerns, saying, “I’ve lived here all my life, I’ll soon be 70 years old, and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen so many 18-wheelers on Spring Creek Road.”
Honeycutt’s major concern was that the trucks would turn from Spring Creek Road onto Railroad Avenue—which Honeycutt said, “is definitely not a road they should be on in Montevallo”—in order to get onto Highway 25. She went on to share an experience she had of nearly getting clipped by a truck there.
Montevallo Police Chief Jeremy Littleton responded to Honeycutt’s concerns by saying there’s not anything they can do about trucks on Spring Creek Road. He added that he has talked to the Alabama Department of Transportation about the issue without avail and that County Road 216 remains the only no-trucking route in Montevallo.
Eisenberg asked if the speed limit, which is currently 35 miles per hour, could be lowered for trucks on the road. Littleton responded by saying that would involve lowering the speed limit for everyone, not just trucks.
Also at this meeting, Mayor Rusty Nix read a proclamation honoring Catharine Bridges Legg. Legg, who passed away on Jan. 4, was a lifetime Montevallo resident. She was the owner of the local Alabama Refractory Clay Company, where she had started working as a secretary.
Legg was also extremely involved in the community. She served multiple terms on the Montevallo City Council and served as director of the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, where she created the group’s “Chamber Chatter” newsletter.
Nix shared the impact that Legg had on his own life, saying, “Ms. Legg had a big part into me getting active with the city of Montevallo back when I was a young fellow. But, she encouraged me to get involved with different boards and committees and I’ll always remember that.”
Several other council members echoed this sentiment.
The next city council meeting will be held Monday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at City Hall and livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page.
Cady Inabinett is the editor in chief of The Alabamian. She’s majoring in English and double-minoring in political science and peace and justice studies. She enjoys reading, watching movies, caring for houseplants and generally just being pretentious in her free time.
