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Tuesday night, The Selma City Council held their monthly meeting to discuss the city’s old and new business and during the meeting’s public comment, business owner Jackie Smith read to the council her statement regarding the “National Fence” held near the parking lot close to the entrance of her building.

“I write to you to bring to your urgent attention significant issues stemming from the erection of the fence on Sept. 26, 2024, immediately adjacent from 1014 Water Avenue. This fence sits in the middle of a block where Steve Romein and Ty Cramer invested in a major economic development initiative just six short months ago. This fence sits in the middle of a block where me and my family have made significant personal and financial investments opening Reflections Coffee Shoppe, which is quick to become one of Selma’s premiere destinations.”

Smith said one of the biggest challenges to operating a business downtown and within any downtown area of any city is parking.

“There are several studies on record addressing this very issue,” Smith said. In Selma, Alabama, noting that the retail development of downtown Selma will be challenged without addressing the need for more parking. The reference fence is blocking five to seven parking spaces and the most forward moving progressive block of the economic development in the city since the erection of this fence. The entire business model for Reflections on the River has been severely impacted.”

For three months, Smith said her business has undergone financial hardship due to the placement of the fence and she said she is afraid if the issue does not get rectified, the business could suffer irreversible damages including impacting those who come in and out of the coffee shop’s safety.

“Parking access and visibility, shape how easily customers and employees engage with the business, influencing foot traffic customer loyalty and operational efficiency, all of which have been impeded and retrained with the erection of this fence. While all things I’ve mentioned is utterly important, my biggest fear is that someone is going to be seriously injured or killed from being forced to walk into a lane of traffic on Water Avenue because this fence obstructs or block the sidewalk.”

Smith said personally, she has witnessed several close calls of individuals who have almost been struck by vehicles while attempting to navigate around the fence, almost causing a dangerous situation not only for pedestrians but for drivers in the area as well.

Smith said she is not sure what the truth is behind the fence being placed but said she requests that the city council take immediate action to address both the safety hazard and the economic impact on local businesses.

The council then questioned Smith regarding the matter about her business, the day to day operation, the movement of the fence since it’s been placed and if she or anyone else has contacted the owners about the matter.

Smith told the council that she did not and said feels that it’s really not her place to do so. However, she said she looks at this situation as more of a government issue because it’s in the city’s streets, sidewalks and there are codes, I think, on the books that will prevent obstruction on sidewalks.

President Billy Young told Smith, like the council he’s unaware of how all this began and said the action taken of placing the fence in front or beside her business, didn’t come from the approval of the council.

“For me, I just one day started noticing fences going up in our downtown area and I didn’t know whether this was something that the business owner did or a governmental entity did. I’ve been left in the complete dark about this particular issue and citizens have expressed as well, not just business owners but general citizens have addressed to me questions and if Smith wouldn’t have came on tonight to discuss this, I eventually was going to have to come because people were going to ask me further questions down the road.”

Young said residents in the area have also wondered about the fences and posed the question of if the fences would be still up for the city’s annual Jubilee event that usually kicks off around the early part of March.

The council went into further detail regarding the fences, not only the one beside Reflections but also the one located in the heart of downtown, that could sometimes be an inconvenience as well for those traveling throughout the city.

“First and foremost, a fence is erected for temporary purposes, not permanently,” Young said. You don’t have permanent fences in front of downtown businesses. It never looked good. It makes Selma look like we are closed but we are open for business and it’s the exact opposite effect with what Smith is trying to achieve with her business.”

Young said it’s a long-term problem that not only involves Reflections but other businesses including streets around area and he said he plans to rectify the situation at hand that involves Smith by taking action swiftly and promptly and reaching out to the building inspector soon enough to find out more information and to provide the area with a more efficient, less hazardous outcome.