Products Mart drops plan to move fair to Cedar Cove
By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The Products Mart Authority has apparently abandoned the idea of relocating the Morgan County Fair from southwest Decatur to a 176-acre tract of land it wants to purchase in the Cedar Cove community, two miles southeast of Hartselle. It hasn’t given up on using the land for another project, however.
One of the options is a multi-use facility with an Agri-Center building, RV campground, convention center, expo-center, automotive complex, equestrian center, trails and passive park, activity complex and a 26-acre area for future development.
That idea wasn’t popular with hearing attendees either.
Marquee said 186 people had signed a petition in protest of locating the fair at the property. The petition cites increase in traffic and accidents, noise level, littler and crime, use of alcohol and the negative effect the fairgrounds will have on property values.
“It would destroy the very reasons we bought property and built our homes out here,” she pointed out.
Jeff McCaleb said he lost the sale of a 10-acre tract mini-farm the day before Thanksgiving after the prospective buyer learned about the fairgounds issue.
Sonny Wright, chairman of the Tennessee Valley Exposition, spoke to the audience about the positives and negatives of the fair. The negative comments he heard centered on fighting, drinking, height requirements for the big rides and safety.
Monroe said purchase of the property is not complete and comments made at the hearing will be taken under consideration when the authority has its next meeting.