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Chelsea maps out its future

Wednesday, June 04, 2008 =

KELLI HEWETT TAYLOR=

News staff writerChelsea now has a road map to = help guide development in the fast-growing city.

Keys include preserving the natural and architectural beauty, designating places for commercial development, and keeping the city's small-town charm. <= /p>

Mayor Earl Niven said city officials want to offer a range of lifestyles, from city center townhouse= s to 5-acre mini-farms in the more rural areas.

"Want people to have a ch= oice of lifestyles to live and even work here, too," Niven said.

After nearly three years of wo= rk, city leaders have adopted the Comprehensive Development Plan. It was prompted, in part, by rapid population growth in recent years.

Chelsea grew from 906 people in 1996 to 6,200 in July 2005.

The plan was a joint project, among Chelsea officials and residents, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, 4Site Inc. consulting company of Huntsville and Shelby County.

"This is a tool in the to= ol box to help leaders with the growth of their city," said Ray Hamilto= n, manager of Shelby County's development services department. "It's a = good plan."

Both Hamilton and Niven emphas= ized the three years of research that went into the plan.

"We took the time to thin= k through the background of what Chelsea used to be, our existing conditions and wh= at we want the future to be," Niven said.

City leaders hosted a number of public meetings - three in 2008 - before adopting the initiative.

"Right now the emphasis i= s on commercial development, making sure the appearance is something we are go= ing to be proud of," Niven said.

In the last year, Chelsea has attracted Wal-Mart, Cato clothing, Walgreens, Tractor Supply Co., several strip malls and office buildings. New restaurants include an Applebee's t= hat is slated for construction in the next few months.

Traffic is also a growing conc= ern, Niven said. Chelsea is working with the neighboring communities of Westov= er and Harpersville on a traffic management plan, now being reviewed by the state Department of Transportation.

Plans include using Old 280 for access roads to businesses along U.S. 280, as well as easing traffic hot spots, such as the bottleneck intersection of Shelby County 39 and 47 near old downtown.

City leaders have both a short-term and long-term plan for those traffic problems, developed from a traffic study that was part of the comprehensive plan. =

Within about two years, motori= sts can expect to see County 47 reconfigured, back 1/4 mile, outside the hair= pin curves and awkwardly placed traffic light of old downtown. Drivers will access County 39 with new left and right turn lanes.

"It's an immediate problem and the engineers are working on it, city and county, right now," Ni= ven said.

The project is estimated to co= st several million dollars.

Over the next 10-20 years, Niv= en envisions a bypass bridge, which will require federal money to help with = the costs.

Niven emphasized that the comprehensive plan is still open to changes as needed. Officials are now working on zoning changes to enable elements of the plan, such as develop= ment in the city center.

"This is just a guide,&qu= ot; Niven said. "We want Chelsea to be ready for the future. We want it = to stay clean and green, and we want it to continue to be family friendly.&q= uot;

E-mail: ktaylor@bhamnews.com <= o:p>

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