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VALLEY — Construction has begun on the first house in the Camellia Crossing subdivision, and permits are being sought for a second one.

City of Valley Planning and Development Director Travis Carter informed the Valley City Council of the work on Monday.

At buildout, as many as 300 new homes could be located in Camellia Crossing, which is located off Combs Road on Valley’s west side.

Holland Homes of Auburn is the builder. Alabama Power is partnering with them in the development of smart homes for the subdivision.

A smart home is an ultimate 21st century dwelling. It’s equipped with lighting, heating and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by phone or computer. The homeowner can contact their smart home on the internet to make sure dinner is cooked, the central heating is on, the curtains are drawn and a gas fire is roaring on the grate when they get home.

The plan is to build 30 new homes at a time. When those homes are sold, the next 30 will be built. As long as the homes are selling, the cycle will continue until 300 new smart homes will be located at Camellia Crossing.

In other discussion at the meeting, Carter said his department is continuing to receive a lot of complaints about the job being done by AmWaste in picking up household garbage in the city.

“They are trying to do better, but we have to stay on them,” he said.

Valley Parks and Recreation Director Laurie Blount told the council that participation has been going strong at the Christmas merry-go-round. The crowds were really good over the weekend. The lines were long on Saturday as rainy weather was approaching.

“We ran it until the bottom fell out,” she said. “Some people got wet, and we’re sorry about that.”

Blount said the Sleigh the 5K had been a big success with 43 entries and eight more people sending in their virtual times (i.e. they ran a timed race at another location). Participation was boosted by the fact that a number of the runners were taking part in Run and See Georgia. Few races are left in that series, and the 2021 winners will be announced in January.

Blount said that Valley Community Center would be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

Public Works Director Patrick Bolt said there’s been a lot of complaints about litter being scattered along W.F. Burns Drive and Fairfax Bypass. He said much of it could come from trash being blown out of passing vehicles. He asked people driving through that area to be more conscientious and not let this happen.

Bolt said that street paving is continuing at several locations in the city and that some aging oak trees have been coming down on Jefferson and Morgan streets in Fairfax.

Council Member Jim Clark thanked Carter and Bolt for their comments about litter in the city.

“I would like to see our street sweeper working again,” he said.

The city will be getting a new street sweeper in 2022 as the current one is aging and often needs repairs.

In action taken at the Monday meeting, a consent agenda item and a resolution were approved. An amendment on a recently-approved ordinance was also approved.

The consent agenda item permits the consumption of alcoholic beverages at a New Year’s Eve event at the Lakeview Cabin. The resolution authorizes Mayor Leonard Riley to execute a cable TV franchise agreement with Local Government Services LLC (WOW!). It’s similar to a previous cable TV franchise agreement previously approved for Charter Spectrum.

The amended ordinance relates to the recent sale of 15 acres of property off 55th Street to LHD Properties LLC. Two existing businesses in Chambers County, Brumfield Electrical and Communications (BEC) and Riggers, Fabricators and Millwrights, Inc., (RFM) will be building their new headquarters there.

The amendment adds the stipulation that the sale is conditioned on the city agreeing to have pipe and rock that’s presently on the site removed within the next year. The pipe and rock will be used in connection with two new roads that will be cutting across the Burney property, connecting Fob James Drive and 55th Street.

The city will continue to have access to the 15-acre site for the next year.

LHD Properties LLC recently purchased the site for $375,000.