ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — With the city of Robertsdale working on upgrades to Honeybee Park, to be completed by the 2021, the local business community is looking for ways to spruce up, particularly along the Alabama 59 corridor.

“We’re excited about the improvements and just want to know what the business community can do to help it along,” said Kay Arnette.

Along with Mayor Charles Murphy and other council representatives, Arnette, an ambassador with the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, recently attended a meeting in Abbeville where ways of beautification and revitalization were discussed. Arnette addressed the city council at its meeting Monday, July 17, along with Chamber Board President Jonathan Kitchens.

“We got an opportunity to look at what Abbeville has done,” Arnette said, “and we’re looking for some simple things that businesses can do to make improvements.”

Items discussed including everything from applying paint to building surfaces to planting shrubs or trees.

“We don’t want to make it sound like we’re pushing business owners into doing something they don’t want to do,” Arnette said. “I don’t have a business on Highway 59, but I want those business owners to know that we are there to help in any way possible to make this city look the best it can be.

“In a lot of cases I think business owners aren’t aware of what’s being done and need some direction as to what they can do to help.”

The city hosted a series of meetings in September and October 2016 to solicit public input for long-range plans to make improvements to Honeybee Park in preparation for the city’s centennial in 2021.

Plans call for the addition of parking, restructuring of sidewalks and landscaping of the park, along with the addition of central features, such as a pavilion and playground area.

One of the main features will be a 500-seat amphitheater which will be placed in the current location of the city’s utilities barn with plans to move the barn to property the city owns north of the Robertsdale Police Station on East Chicago Street.

Murphy said unlike Abbeville where all the improvements were done on city streets and largely by one private property owner, improvements along Alabama 59 would need the approval of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

There are, however, things that private business owners can do to make improvements on their property.

“We definitely support the idea, but we need the support of local business owners,” said Mayor Pro Tem Joe Kitchens, who himself owns a business along Alabama 59. “My suggestion would be to reach out to the other business owners and let’s work together to get this done.”

In other business July 17, the council approved a pair of ordinances, rezoning property along U.S. 90 and Alabama 59.

First, the council approved a request from Hazel Carlee to rezone property in Carlee’s Mobile Home Park from R-1/B-2 to RMH to allow the sale of the property.

The council also approved the rezoning of property in the Greer’s Shopping Center from B-1 to B-2.

The council also voted to adopt a resolution at the request of Retirement Systems of Alabama to grant a one-time lump sum payment with an estimated cost of $13,892.

The council also tabled a donation request from the Robertsdale High School Golden Bear Marching Band.