Jeremy Handel
jeremy@thewoodrufftimes.com
The Woodruff City Council approved a rezoning request for the Woodruff Church of God property and named two new members to fill vacant seats on the Planning Commission at its October meeting.
The rezoning covers approximately 38 acres on Highway 101 where the Woodruff Church of God sits. According to Assistant City Manager Brandon McMahan, the request was made to better match the actual usage on the site. The property was rezoned from industrial to mixed employment.
McMahan said there is no plan for any development on the site, and the change was simply to match the usage. Council members Allen Durham and Buddy Arnold recused themselves from the vote. Arnold indicated that he is a member of the church, and Durham did not provide a reason.
The council unanimously approved the appointment of two community members to fill two vacant seats on the Planning Commission. Shareece Norman and Casey Bowen will fill the seats, replacing Terry Leake and Laura Lee.
In other business, the council unanimously approved authorizing City Manager Lee Bailey to negotiate and execute development agreements for two projects currently identified as Project Abney, a multi-family development, and Project Redbird, a hospitality development. Municipalities often keep developments anonymous while details of the development agreements are being finalized.
During business updates, Bailey told council members that the independent auditors would present their annual report at the November meeting. He also told the council that BMW had scheduled the grand opening of its new battery plant for November 13.
Woodruff City Council meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month at City Hall. The meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be held November 24.
