City passes on land deal

The Russellville City Council has apparently passed on the opportunity to purchase 115 acres of land adjacent to Sloss Lake on Alabama 24.
During Tuesday night’s work session, Mayor Troy Oliver read a letter from the owner of the property located between the park and the WebbSite convenience store, stating that the city had until 5 p.m. Friday to take action on the purchase.
Though Oliver and council members Lanny Hubbard and William Nale expressed support for the purchase, which would be used for expansions of the park, no one placed the item on the agenda Tuesday evening.
After Oliver read the letter from the property owner, Councilman Jeff Masterson said he would like to know what the land would be used for if it were to be purchased.
Oliver said the land needed for the park could be used for that, while local realtors could market the remaining property.
“All the property value on both sides of the highway would go up if we started developing it,” he said.
Nale said he believed that future growth in the city would be along Alabama 24.
Oliver agreed, saying that “at some point in time the city has to grow and we are maxed out right now.”
The 115 acres of land would cost the city more than $400,000.
Councilman Gary Cummings, who had been a proponent of the land purchase at one time, said he would support buying a smaller amount of land.
“I have been promoting this, but we don’t need 115 acres – we need about 30 acres of land to do what we want to do with the park,” Cummings said.
No action was taken regarding the sale prior to the landowner’s imposed deadline.