MAGNOLIA SPRINGS,Ala. — Magnolia Springs’ first request to vacate a street may or may not be near completion.

During Monday’s regular workshop, the Town Council reviewed the appraisal of the 8,000 square-foot portion of Palm Street that James and Ann West and Tim and Sandra Russell requested the town vacate. That appraisal came after the council voted in May to grant the request, contingent upon a fee decided on after the land’s appraisal. Gaylord C. Lyon and Co. Inc. appraised the property to be valued at $56,000. If set as the fee, that amount would be split between those requesting the vacation.

As previously reported, the request was made in January in reaction to the town’s own request that the Wests remove a gate housed on the land in question, which is public property. Following much debated public hearings, the council approved the vacation in May, contingent upon the appraisal that would help set the fee for the action. Mayor Ken Underwood cast the lone dissenting vote at that time.

During Monday’s workshop, the council debated whether the fee for the vacation should reflect the type of appraisal to be considered, whether it be for what it adds to the adjacent property or for the split between the value of waterfront and non-waterfront property. In addition, James West repeatedly voiced opposition to the amount of the appraisal.

“It’s not a question of what you want,” Councilman Jim May said, gesturing toward his fellow councilmen. “It’s what these guys decide.”

West repeatedly argued that the appraisal terms were not what he and his lawyer agreed to. But May told him the council had spent an excessive amount of time on the issue in the past few months and needed to move on.

“We’ve already spent 30 to 40 minutes talking about it tonight,” he said.

“It’s a lot of money,” West replied.

“Then why did you ask to have it vacated?” Councilman Ben Dykeman asked.

West didn’t answer, and the issue ended with the council telling West that the fee amount for the vacation would be voted on at its next regular meeting on Aug. 27 and that he was welcomed to provide an additional appraisal before then.