CELEBRATING 20 YEARS, PLANNING FOR MORE

A citywide celebration commemorating Chelsea’s 20th anniversary is planned for a Sunday in March. The date and details will be announced soon, city officials said.

The event will double as a ribbon cutting for the community center.

Previous council members are invited and will be recognized, and Niven will talk about the city’s formation, accomplishments and goals.

After serving five consecutive terms as Chelsea’s first and only mayor, Niven is not seeking re-election this year.

Niven said room for improvement lingers in the city’s transportation system. Rerouting Shelby County 47 and Shelby County 39 to alleviate congestion in front of City Hall is a project he wanted to, but couldn’t, launch during his time in office because of county funding.

Congestion along U.S. 280 continues to be troublesome for Chelsea residents and many others in the greater Birmingham area.

“Transportation is always a problem,” Niven said. “I sometimes describe Chelsea as the beginning of the 280 parking lot.”

Even so, Niven has high hopes for his hometown in the years to come – to continue growing Chelsea’s population, developing the retail and commercial base and marketing Chelsea as a place where families can establish roots that span generations.

“This is just the foundation,” Niven said. “The growth of Chelsea and better days of Chelsea are yet to come. It’s a great city that we can call home.”