By Joel Paris
The Avondale Mills saga continues after the Pell City Council took no action concerning the purchase of the properties at Monday evening’s council meeting due to a lack of a motion.
The council member were quiet when they were asked by Mayor Bill Hereford if there were any motions to buy the former Avondale Mills properties from Pell City-Tifton Properties, LLC, which is owned by Thunder Enterprises out of Chattanooga.
According to Hereford, Thunder Enterprises wants to sell the property as is, without a Phase II assessment of the property and the soil testing that comes with it. The soil testing is a large part of what is keeping the council members from making a motion to purchase.
Council members do not want to buy the Avondale Mills property without it undergoing soil testing to make sure there is no hazardous waste above or below ground.
Councilman Donnie Guinn said if a Phase II environmental assessment was allowed and completed he would be willing to discuss the matter further. Hereford continues to negotiate with Pell City-Tifton Properties, LLC, and Thunder Enterprises.
Guinn read an excerpt from an opinion in a Phase I environmental assessment that was completed and released by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management recently.
“Based on current available information and past operational history, there is a low possibility that contamination exist at the site. The potential for contamination exists for both groundwater and soil pathways, but are unlikely at elevated levels,” the opinion reads. “ADEM recommends that no further assessment be performed.”
The assessment does not totally write off the possibility of contamination.
“This assessment has revealed the potential for adverse environmental conditions at this location…
There is no chemical analysis available to indicate soil or air contamination associated with this site, however operational activities at the site may potentially have led to contamination of the soil,” the Phase I assessment reads.
Last week Hereford reported to the council that Pell City-Tifton Properties, LLC had agreed to sell the entire property in Pell City for $2.47 million. They would sell the well site and the 28-acre Avondale Mills plant site together for $2.2 million. This is approximately $52,000 per acre for the plant site and is not including the court-determined fair market well site price of $750,000 that is currently under appeal by both the city and Pell City-Tifton Properties, LLC in the St. Clair County Circuit Court.
Hereford has not been shy about his desire to buy the property, even as is, and thinks it would be a great location for a new library.
“When the council chooses not to act on this matter, we’re basically saying we will not accept your proposal to sell to us as is, but I hope we’re not saying we will never do anything and if they want to make another proposal I’ll be happy to hear it and pass it on to the council,” Hereford said.
Councilmen Greg Gossett and James McGowan have previously said they were not opposed to buying some of the property for a library, but not the entire 28-acres.
Councilwoman Dot Wood has said the city is in too much debt to buy the Avondale Mills property. Councilmen Donnie Todd would consider buying the property if soil tests were completed.
The Avondale Mills textile plant was an integral part of the community and operated for over 100 years. It burned on Valentine’s Day of 2008.
Considering library placement for a new library, Gossett said that there might be property already suited for a library in town.
“There are several pieces of property in this town within a few blocks from here that I think in the next couple of years are going to be for sale. There’s one already for sale with a building on it with a large square-footage at this time,” Gossett said.
According to Pell City Library Director Danny Stewart, the city has just one year to use a $250,000 grant for the construction or purchase of a new library site.
Several library potential library sites have been proposed, the Jefferson State Community College area and on Hardwick Road next to Williams Intermediate School.
In other council meeting matters:
* The financing and contract on the INCODE software were approved.
* Resolution 2009-3025 regarding cost to the city for the condemnation of property located at 4310 Stemley Bridge Road was approved.
* Resolution 2009-3026 regarding cost to the city for the condemnation of property located at 812 17th Street South was approved.
* After some discussion, the council voted 4-2 to interview all four companies who have put in proposals to manage the water department. Artesian Utilities Systems; Southwest Water Company, Inc.; Clearwater Solutions; and ESG Operations are the four companies. Councilmen Gossett and McGowan voted against interviewing all four companies. McGowan mentioned that the city had the employees and the equipment to run the department but that a water department manager was needed. “I’m not saying hire somebody from the outside to manage,” McGowan said. “I’m talking about someone in-house.”
