By CASSANDRA MICKENS/Associate Editor

COLUMBIANA — Alabama Power’s request to designate a tract of land adjacent to its General Services Complex as an industrial park was the subject of a brief public hearing during the Shelby County Commission’s regular meeting May 12.

The commission took no formal action following the hearing, which garnered no comments from the public. The commission is slated to take formal action at its May 27 meeting at 6 p.m.

In an April 10 memorandum from the county Department of Development Services to the commission, the commission designated the existing General Services Complex as an industrial park in 1981. Approximately 185 acres of the complex remained unzoned with 78 acres zoned M-1, Light Industrial.  The remaining acreage was zoned A-1, Agriculture District and was primarily agricultural at the time. The remaining A-1 portion of the complex was rezoned to M-1, Light Industrial by the Shelby County Planning Commission in July 2013.

“As the facility has continued to expand operations, more space is needed for laydown areas, training fields, new buildings and warehousing of materials,” the memorandum reads.

The GSC is located at 744 Shelby County 87 near the Shelby County Airport.