Council okays zoning for paintball facility; expects to open in June

Thanks to action by the Demopolis City Council Thursday, Demopolis is one step closer to having an outdoor paintball facility.

David T. Compton received Council approval for an amendment to the zoning ordinance allowing him to open the activity on his property located between the Warhouse Theater and Lock and Dam Road.

According to Compton’s request, the initial park will be on “3.5 acres where two opposing club ‘forts’ will play ‘capture the flag,’ ‘protect the President’ and other games.” The final step for Compton is the okay from the Board of Adjustment on June 7. He hopes to open the paintball park sometime in June.

The Council also approved rezoning a section in the northeast part of the city known as the Brickyard from R-3 to R-4 to allow mobile homes in a certain area with special exception of the Board of Adjustment.

At the request of Demopolis Police Chief Rex Flowers, Council members voted to retire Honda, the department’s drug dog, who is having health problems. Flowers said the department already has a multi-purpose dog named Maximus purchased by the District Attorney’s office, and Demopolis City Schools has acquired a dog named Ips trained to detect explosives and firearms.

In the only other action, the Council approved an additional application for Demopolis Six LP Inc. to be able to sell table wine off premises. At the last meeting, the business was approved for beer sales, but the need for the wine approval was neglected.

Whitfield Regional Hospital CEO Doug Brewer thanked the DPD and the Demopolis Fire and Rescue Department for their quick response last Thursday when a bulldozer hit a main gas line behind the hospital.