City Council approves $6.5 million for purchase of Shoppes of Madison land

The Madison City Council approved $6.5 million to purchase a parcel of land, which would be given to GBT Realty Incorporated, to start construction on The Shoppes of Madison development.

Craig Cole, senior vice president of development for GBT, said concerns addressed at the community meeting residents called last week were taken into consideration and GBT will make certain changes to the original development plan.

“We were able to better understand some of the concerns the neighbors had,”

Cole said. “There were things we could do and things we couldn’t do. We will focus on the things we could do.”

Cole said one concern was safety barriers, so he said he will add landscaping behind the shopping center and include a berm along the rear with an eight-foot screening fence to further separate the neighborhood from the shopping center.

“We’ve taken every step possible to try to minimize the impact to the neighbors,” Cole said.

One resident, Mike Callahan quipped about the city creating Arbor Week, but knocking down trees to build the shopping center, during the public hearing portion.

Neil Sutherland, one of those affected by development, said he is pleased with the improvements GBT is making to the construction plans.

“I do want to say that I think the compromises that GBT and city had done to improve the buffer are very good,” he said. “One thing I think the city should take away from this for future projects that border residential areas is to do more upfront coordination and have a meeting that invites the whole neighborhood.”

He said that way, people would be more happy about it and reach comprises ahead of time.

In other actions, the council:

—Declared Feb. 20 through Feb 26 as Arbor Week.

—Council representative Jerry Jennings said a series of interviews for director for the Madison Senior Center. He said a new director should be in place within the next 30 days/

—Approved a resolution authorizing the submission of an application for a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to provide fire & life education and services to the disabled (90 percent federal/10 percent local — $30,700 total)

—Approved a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a maintenance service contract with Intergraph for Fire Department mobile data terminals (funding from departmental budget)

—Approved Change Order No. 3 decreasing contract with Pearce Construction for Senior Center Addition project in the amount of $1,030.00

—Approved a contract with Mike Smith Consultant for athletic turf (to be paid from departmental budget)

—Approved a contract with Geo-Solutions, LLC for geo-tech sample testing for youth soccer field lighting project (to be paid from departmental budget)

—Approved for the purchase of one (1) 2011 Ford Police Inceptor in the amount of $21,244 from North Alabama Cooperative Purchasing Association Bid awarded to Woody Anderson Ford (to be paid from State Forfeiture Account)

—Approved Change Order No. 7 on contract with Moon Construction for Police Department Addition project increasing the contract in the amount of $38,756.40 Crown Vic for Patrol Use.