Trees get a respite for now

Hartselle leaders may have found a solution to a funding question related to a state grant that was to be used, in part, to remove the trees on Highway 31.
Mayor Dwight Tankersley said he will recommend the city accept the funding but use it only to landscape at the Highway 36 and Highway 31 intersection and the Interstate 65 and Thompson Road intersection.
The transportation enhancement grant is $488,000 and requires a 20 percent match, or some $97,600. To help cover those cost, Tankersley said the portion of the match for the Thompson Road improvements will be paid for by the Morgan County Economic Development Cooperative District, developers of the new Morgan Business Park.
The removal of the trees, a controversial issue in Hartselle, will be up to the state, Tankersley said. State officials said the trees are a safety hazard.
“We’re not sure when they plan to do that,” Tankersley said. “We’ve not been given a timeline.”
The city will also be responsible for design fees related to the intersection projects.